The heartbreaker
Came within 0.5828 points of the Grand Championship at Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest (2026-06-12).
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
Came within 0.5828 points of the Grand Championship at Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest (2026-06-12).
4 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 4 different meats.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 87 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) (2026-07-18) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 13-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, TRIPLE H BBQ.
Their power rating has climbed 28 points across 8 contests since 2025-09-26 — from 1554 up to 1582.
Took the Grand Championship over a 32-team field at Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2).
They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival (2025-09-26).
99.7% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 717.7028 at Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival — 99.7% of a perfect 720.
They've taken 2 state championships from 17 entries at contests carrying the title.
REVIN IT UP BBQ has finished one call ahead of Bad Dog BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
2025 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 32%.
JANKY LEG BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
JANKY LEG BBQ has come out ahead in 9 of their 9 shared contests.
Ahead in 86% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Dr. Smoke in 6 of their 7 shared contests.
Off the trail for 5.9 years, then back at Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest (2024-06-07).
RAZORRACKS ahead 79% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, RAZORRACKS has out-cooked them in 11 of 14 shared pork entries.
7 SINS BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.
Something about September: average finish in the top 28% across 4 contests, versus top 50% the rest of the year.
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 18,756 miles across 37 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,466 miles to Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons.
They've cooked New Holland Summer Fest every year from 2013 to 2016 — the contest they never miss.
Where this team stands in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record they hold outright; the rest are boards they are on. Rebuilt nightly, so beating one shows up here the next morning.
The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.
45 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 36 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-headTheir last contest in the data was back in 2020, 6 years before Bad Dog BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-headCareers of much the same size, 31 contests to 37, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head29 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 14% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-headLevel with Bad Dog BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headThey turned up 7 years after Bad Dog BBQ did, first appearing in 2020.
⚔ Head-to-head| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kermit's Ex | 14 | 6 | 8 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| RAZORRACKS | 14 | 5 | 9 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE DANCER BBQ | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| Big D's BBQ | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| SLOWER LOWER BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| PIGHEADED BBQ | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| BLIND HOG BBQ | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Meat Candy Q | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| WILBUR'S REVENGE | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| HAWG NATION BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| APORKALYPSE NOW | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 36 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 180.0000 🔥 | 126.7884 | 166.08 | top 50% |
| Pork Ribs | 36 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 180.0000 🔥 | 147.4744 | 165.00 | top 49% |
| Pork | 36 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 180.0000 🔥 | 146.7656 | 166.18 | top 47% |
| Brisket | 36 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 180.0000 🔥 | 141.0856 | 162.65 | top 50% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| AR | 8 | 1 | top 39% |
| CA | 6 | 0 | top 57% |
| DE | 5 | 0 | top 52% |
| PA | 4 | 0 | top 70% |
| MO | 3 | 1 | top 34% |
| KS | 2 | 0 | top 23% |
| TN | 2 | 0 | top 60% |
| MS | 2 | 0 | top 48% |
| MD | 2 | 0 | top 54% |
| AL | 1 | 0 | top 78% |
| NJ | 1 | 0 | top 57% |
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 17 | 2 | top 47% |
| Large (40+) | 19 | 0 | top 53% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Holland Summer Fest | 4 | 39 | 0 | top 70% | 2016-08-26 |
| Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 20% | 2026-07-18 |
| Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 26% | 2025-09-26 |
| Southaven Springfest | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 48% | 2026-04-24 |
| University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 51% | 2026-03-13 |
| Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons | 2 | 28 | 0 | top 72% | 2016-08-05 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.8 | Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival | 2025-09-26 |
| +17.4 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) | 2026-07-18 |
| +16.7 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest | 2026-06-12 |
| +16.7 | 7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic | 2015-07-24 |
| +15.6 | Smoke on the Water | 2024-09-20 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.5 | New Holland Summer Fest | 2016-08-26 |
| -7.5 | New Holland Summer Fest | 2015-08-28 |
| -7.1 | Certified BBQ Judging Class - Cancelled | 2015-01-17 |
| -6.8 | 8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic(JUDGES FULL) | 2017-07-28 |
| -6.5 | Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval | 2016-04-08 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 57% | top 41% | 98.5% | 96.2% |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 100% | top 32% | 99.7% | 96.9% |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33% | top 46% | 95.7% | 95.1% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 78% | 89.7% | 89.7% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 80% | 87.2% | 87.2% |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 69% | 93.1% | 87.6% |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40% | top 54% | 96.6% | 89.9% |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 58% | 86.4% | 85.6% |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 48% | 88.1% | 86.7% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-18 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 1 / 32 (709.1316) | 4 (176.5600) | 4 (178.8572) | 10 (175.4172) | 4 (178.2972) |
| 2026-07-17 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 12 / 32 (691.3256) | 23 (170.8228) | 16 (171.9772) | 10 (174.2628) | 10 (174.2628) |
| 2026-06-12 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 2 / 36 (701.0972) | 10 (176.0116) | 8 (174.2744) | 7 (175.4056) | 2 (175.4056) |
| 2026-05-29 | Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Contest 🏅 Covington, TN | 18 / 25 (693.6112) | 15 (174.2628) | 17 (173.1200) | 4 (180.0000) | 20 (166.2284) |
| 2026-04-24 | Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS | 24 / 33 (679.8972) | 12 (177.1428) | 20 (170.8344) | 28 (163.3828) | 23 (168.5372) |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 59 / 125 (684.4916) | 25 (176.0000) | 92 (165.6916) | 75 (169.6800) | 33 (173.1200) |
| 2026-03-13 | University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest 🏅 Fayetteville, AR | 19 / 37 (688.5488) | 18 (174.2744) | 25 (167.9656) | 16 (173.1544) | 11 (173.1544) |
| 2025-09-26 | Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR | 1 / 26 (717.7028) | 2 (180.0000) | 1 (180.0000) | 6 (177.7028) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2025-06-27 | Old Town Smokeout 🏅 Van Buren, AR | 14 / 27 (687.8852) | 26 (166.8112) | 3 (176.5600) | 9 (173.7028) | 10 (170.8112) |
| 2025-06-06 | Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR | 9 / 30 (701.6572) | 2 (178.8572) | 23 (169.6800) | 4 (178.8572) | 9 (174.2628) |
| 2025-04-25 | Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS | 8 / 34 (694.7656) | 25 (168.5256) | 3 (176.5600) | 5 (174.2628) | 5 (175.4172) |
| 2025-03-14 | University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest 🏅 Fayetteville, AR | 14 / 28 (687.8856) | 3 (178.8572) | 11 (173.1200) | 18 (170.8228) | 22 (165.0856) |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 181 / 444 (679.4060) | 19 (177.7144) | 297 (165.7144) | 97 (173.1428) | 310 (162.8344) |
| 2024-09-27 | Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR | 13 / 27 (689.0740) | 11 (172.5484) | 1 (179.4400) | 12 (173.1428) | 22 (163.9428) |
| 2024-09-20 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR | 8 / 42 (687.3828) | 11 (174.8456) | 34 (161.7028) | 18 (171.9772) | 2 (178.8572) |
| 2024-07-19 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 23 / 37 (685.6112) | 25 (171.4056) | 21 (171.4172) | 28 (169.6684) | 11 (173.1200) |
| 2024-06-07 | Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR | 19 / 33 (681.6228) | 18 (170.8456) | 21 (167.3944) | 12 (171.9656) | 16 (171.4172) |
| 2018-07-13 | 9th Annual Vista BBQ Classic(JUDGES FULL) Vista, CA | 29 / 37 (646.1600) | 23 (163.4056) | 28 (161.0972) | 36 (153.6800) | 16 (167.9772) |
| 2017-07-28 | 8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic(JUDGES FULL) Vista, CA | 32 / 40 (627.9540) | 31 (161.7372) | 36 (150.8228) | 23 (165.6684) | 34 (149.7256) |
| 2016-08-26 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 56 / 66 (613.6572) | 26 (164.0000) | 53 (153.1772) | 46 (155.3944) | 61 (141.0856) |
| 2016-08-05 | Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Huntington Beach, CA | 28 / 36 (636.4800) | 26 (161.6800) | 24 (163.4172) | 28 (159.9428) | 28 (151.4400) |
| 2016-07-29 | 8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic Vista, CA | 15 / 42 (670.3316) | 16 (169.1772) | 15 (167.4172) | 2 (176.5716) | 31 (157.1656) |
| 2016-04-08 | Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval Harrington, DE | 59 / 75 (603.8172) | 58 (153.1084) | 59 (150.2512) | 60 (151.3716) | 55 (149.0860) |
| 2015-08-28 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 53 / 70 (611.9312) | 68 (126.7884) | 7 (170.2972) | 45 (155.9884) | 30 (158.8572) |
| 2015-08-07 | Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Huntington Beach, CA | 38 / 58 (654.2056) | 41 (162.2628) | 21 (170.2628) | 22 (166.8456) | 48 (154.8344) |
| 2015-07-24 | 7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic Vista, CA | 4 / 54 (695.4856) | 17 (173.1772) | 2 (179.4400) | 5 (174.8800) | 19 (167.9884) |
| 2015-04-10 | Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE | 43 / 99 (639.3828) | 63 (156.5828) | 34 (162.2856) | 26 (163.9656) | 57 (156.5488) |
| 2015-01-17 | Certified BBQ Judging Class - Cancelled Hartselle, AL | 28 / 36 (636.4800) | 26 (161.6800) | 24 (163.4172) | 28 (159.9428) | 28 (151.4400) |
| 2014-10-03 | DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ | 37 / 65 (617.6112) | 35 (158.2628) | 44 (147.9312) | 22 (161.6800) | 39 (149.7372) |
| 2014-08-22 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 39 / 70 (622.1144) | 51 (151.9888) | 17 (163.9772) | 35 (155.3600) | 44 (150.7884) |
| 2014-05-09 | Pork In The Park BBQ Festival Salisbury, MD | 23 / 43 (617.6116) | 31 (153.0972) | 24 (150.8572) | 24 (155.9772) | 16 (157.6800) |
| 2014-04-11 | Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair Harrington, DE | 71 / 109 (606.7312) | 45 (158.3200) | 68 (149.1428) | 88 (146.7656) | 58 (152.5028) |
| 2013-09-20 | Hogs & Hops Dover Dover, DE | 19 / 45 (634.1828) | 13 (165.7028) | 31 (152.0000) | 18 (163.3712) | 24 (153.1088) |
| 2013-08-23 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 46 / 71 (615.4516) | 47 (155.4056) | 56 (147.4744) | 43 (155.4288) | 31 (157.1428) |
| 2013-05-17 | Middletown BBQ Cook Off Middletown, DE | 17 / 56 (631.4282) | 12 (161.7144) | 21 (156.5712) | 23 (158.2856) | 24 (154.8570) |
| 2013-04-19 | Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival Salisbury, MD | 58 / 106 (614.8566) | 68 (155.4284) | 39 (156.0000) | 63 (154.8568) | 71 (148.5714) |
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #157 (962 pts) | #230 (787 pts) | #260 (757 pts) | #182 (852 pts) | #158 (932 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #279 (785 pts) | #264 (845 pts) | #276 (925 pts) | #296 (780 pts) | #297 (795 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #424 (485 pts) | #443 (495 pts) | #436 (555 pts) | #453 (455 pts) | #365 (620 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1954 (60 pts) | #1949 (70 pts) | #1996 (60 pts) | #2030 (60 pts) | #1776 (105 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #2212 (60 pts) | #2286 (60 pts) | #2304 (60 pts) | #2199 (70 pts) | #2266 (60 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1257 (230 pts) | #1363 (225 pts) | #1330 (235 pts) | #980 (380 pts) | #1503 (180 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #951 (330 pts) | #1328 (220 pts) | #890 (400 pts) | #1048 (320 pts) | #1327 (210 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #1578 (153 pts) | #1763 (143 pts) | #1492 (188 pts) | #1728 (148 pts) | #1477 (188 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1308 (190 pts) | #1281 (215 pts) | #1482 (170 pts) | #1510 (160 pts) | #1483 (155 pts) |