BULLHEADED BBQ

BULLHEADED BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 34 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 8th of 13 at the Fire on the Mountain (2017). They are ranked #6397 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Bull Headed BBQ”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,397

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1392

peak 1392 · rated over 33 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 11, 2015

latest Jul 24, 2026 · 10.9 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#593

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

3% of 34 contests

Avg finish

top 79%

overall standings

Best overall

678.8228 / 720

Master · First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off (TEAMS FULL)

Perfect 180s

Current form

640.19 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 635.88 (+4.31)

Walk rate

26%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

179.4400

Brisket · First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off (TEAMS FULL)

Consistency

±33.83

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 162.23 · weakest Brisket (155.73)

Road miles

5,112

across 34 mapped stops · furthest 248 mi

Schedule strength

73%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1593)

Purse competed for

$100K

listed at 11 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 13 state-championship entries

Master avg

635.88 / 720

33 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

678.8228 career-best overall

94.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 678.8228 at First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off (TEAMS FULL) — 94.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 7, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Beachdogs 502 BBQ has finished one call ahead of BULLHEADED BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 7 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 59%.

7 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 59%

A tough matchup

20–1 behind in the head-to-head

BLUE CHIP BBQ ahead in 95% of their meetings

BLUE CHIP BBQ has come out ahead in 20 of their 21 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.49 points below their pork, and turns into a call 6% of the time against 12%.

Brisket avg 155.73
Pork avg 162.23
2 calls in 33 entries

A strong matchup

3–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of DEEP SOUTH BBQ in 3 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

3.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.9 years, then back at Fire on the Mountain BBQ (Jul 24, 2026).

last seen Sep 9, 2022
back Jul 24, 2026

Show 4 more storylines

Pork nemesis

20 of 21 shared pork entries lost

BLUE CHIP BBQ ahead 95% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BLUE CHIP BBQ has out-cooked them in 20 of 21 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

UNCLE BUTCH BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

5,112 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,112 miles across 34 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 248 miles to TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest.

34 mapped stops
furthest 248 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival every year from 2016 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 12th

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026 ↗	Master	#1012 (62 pts)	#1075 (67 pts)	#1136 (67 pts)	#988 (87 pts)	#1046 (62 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#907 (151 pts)	#866 (181 pts)	#908 (181 pts)	#959 (151 pts)	#950 (141 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1511 (57 pts)	#1218 (77 pts)	#1564 (57 pts)	#1223 (72 pts)	#1186 (77 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#1108 (55 pts)	#1114 (55 pts)	#1124 (55 pts)	#838 (85 pts)	#1106 (55 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#836 (346 pts)	#661 (521 pts)	#811 (396 pts)	#896 (341 pts)	#815 (391 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#659 (520 pts)	#640 (580 pts)	#592 (610 pts)	#430 (840 pts)	#703 (510 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#593 (665 pts)	#401 (940 pts)	#707 (565 pts)	#541 (725 pts)	#536 (735 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1271 (227 pts)	#1310 (242 pts)	#1148 (292 pts)	#1317 (242 pts)	#1334 (232 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#2158 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2225 (60 pts)	#2214 (60 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BULLHEADED BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

MOUNTAIN WILLIAM BBQ

#6,396 of the rated field

1392 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1501

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to BULLHEADED BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BULLHEADED BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Oct 19, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

2nd Hand Smoke

#6,398 of the rated field

1391 power rating

Contests: 38
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1391

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 38 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 38 contests
last seen Apr 24, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

YARDHOGS BBQ

#6,399 of the rated field

1391 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1391

Fewer contests behind them than BULLHEADED BBQ has cooked, 18 to 34, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Sep 26, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Service Dog BBQ

#6,400 of the rated field

1391 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1391

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Aug 9, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ

#6,401 of the rated field

1390 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1390

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2015.

rated over 32 contests
last seen Jun 5, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

PORK 'N MINDY

#6,402 of the rated field

1390 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 3%
Peak: 1523

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before BULLHEADED BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 28 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BLUE CHIP BBQ	21	1	20	5%	⚔ compare
WeQ4U	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
Extra Mile BBQ	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
HOGTOWN BARBECUE	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THIS	15	0	15	0%	⚔ compare
THE ALGOOD BAR-B-Q PIT CREW	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
ELKHAWG SMOKERS	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
MEAT MISTERS	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
HOT COLE'S BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
Under the Radar	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
CONTAGIOUS Q	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
K-TOWN DADDY'S BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO.	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	33	6	1	177.7028	20	159.28	top 67%
Pork Ribs	33	2	0	173.1316	145.6456	158.64	top 77%
Pork	33	4	0	175.4056	149.0856	162.23	top 69%
Brisket	33	2	1	179.4400	131.3032	155.73	top 79%

“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.

By field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 81%
Medium (20–39)	25	top 80%
Large (40+)	6	top 74%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
KY	21	top 79%
TN	11	top 78%
GA	1	top 89%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Bands & BBQ at the Point	5	19	top 89%	Sep 9, 2022
Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	4	12	top 81%	Jun 14, 2019
Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	2	29	top 70%	May 17, 2019
Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off	2	23	top 72%	Oct 19, 2018
Grilling & Chillin BBQ	2	14	top 56%	Sep 21, 2018
Fire on the Mountain	2	8	top 81%	Jul 27, 2018
Bar-B-Cure	2	25	top 92%	Nov 18, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 7 contests

Contests a season 3.8 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in KY 22 of 34 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 21 7 of them more than once

Opponents faced 488 finished ahead 229 times, behind 863

Longest layoff 3.9 yrs Sep 9, 2022 → Jul 24, 2026

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20261 milestone

Jul 24 Most recent contest Fire on the Mountain BBQ

20191 milestone

Sep 13 25th tracked contest Bands & BBQ at the Point

20175 milestones

Apr 7 First call First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off (TEAMS FULL)
Apr 7 Career-best overall score678.8228 First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off (TEAMS FULL)
Apr 7 Career-best single call (Brisket)179.4400 First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off (TEAMS FULL)
Jun 16 10th tracked contest Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival
Jul 28 First overall top-10 Fire on the Mountain

20161 milestone

Nov 18 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.0288 Bar-B-Cure

20152 milestones

Jun 5 First tracked contest Bourbon City BBQ Festival
Sep 11 Peak power rating (1486) Bands & BBQ at the Point

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+11	First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off (TEAMS FULL)	Apr 7, 2017
+10.8	Grilling & Chillin BBQ	Sep 21, 2018
+10.3	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	Jun 16, 2017
+6.4	Brew B Q	Nov 10, 2017
+3.9	Big BBQ Bash	Jun 24, 2022

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.8	Bands & BBQ at the Point	Sep 11, 2015
-11.1	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival	Jun 17, 2016
-11	Bar-B-Cure	Nov 20, 2015
-10.9	Blues Hog BBQ & Music Fest	Apr 1, 2016
-9.8	Bands & BBQ at the Point	Sep 16, 2016

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0%	top 100%	85.2%	85.2%
2022	2	0	0%	top 73%	91.8%	90.5%
2021	3	0	0%	top 73%	89.5%	89.2%
2020	1	0	0%	top 97%	87.3%	87.3%
2019	6	0	17%	top 88%	90.5%	87%
2018	7	0	43%	top 75%	92.4%	89.9%
2017	7	1	71%	top 59%	94.3%	91.5%
2016	4	0	0%	top 95%	91.8%	82.8%
2015	3	0	0%	top 99%	85.9%	85.2%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 24, 2026	Fire on the Mountain BBQ 🏅 Leburn, KY	22 / 22 (613.4980)	21 (154.8344)	21 (160.5376)	17 (165.1200)	22 (133.0060)
Sep 9, 2022	Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY	28 / 32 (641.5660)	17 (167.9888)	23 (164.5256)	30 (152.5256)	27 (156.5260)
Jun 24, 2022	Big BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	17 / 29 (661.0288)	19 (162.8228)	13 (167.9772)	17 (165.6800)	19 (164.5488)
Sep 17, 2021	Grillin and Chillin BBQ 🏅 Owensboro, KY	23 / 31 (644.3312)	28 (150.7772)	22 (163.9428)	21 (164.5140)	18 (165.0972)
Sep 10, 2021	Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY	19 / 28 (640.5032)	15 (164.5716)	20 (160.0344)	20 (157.6456)	22 (158.2516)
Jun 25, 2021	Blount County BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	25 / 32 (641.4976)	21 (164.5372)	30 (146.7544)	22 (165.0972)	21 (165.1088)
Jul 24, 2020	Fire on the Mountain 🏅 Leburn, KY	29 / 30 (628.4344)	30 (149.6456)	30 (152.5600)	19 (166.2744)	26 (159.9544)
Oct 4, 2019	Jim Beam BBQ Classic 🏅 Springfield, KY	42 / 42 (598.4912)	42 (151.3368)	40 (155.9200)	35 (158.8000)	42 (132.4344)
Sep 20, 2019	Grillin & Chillin BBQ 🏅 Owensboro, KY	24 / 34 (635.7828)	26 (161.6456)	25 (159.3600)	33 (149.0856)	15 (165.6916)
Sep 13, 2019	Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY	26 / 28 (600.2864)	21 (160.5372)	26 (156.5144)	27 (151.9316)	27 (131.3032)
Jun 14, 2019	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival 🏅 Barbourville, KY	29 / 30 (633.4748)	24 (166.8344)	28 (157.0744)	27 (160.5028)	30 (149.0632)
May 17, 2019	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass 🏅 Sevierville, TN	31 / 43 (637.4860)	19 (168.5372)	17 (168.5372)	36 (155.9544)	39 (144.4572)
Mar 29, 2019	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest 🏅 Savannah, TN	27 / 29 (651.2572)	5 (173.7144)	22 (161.6800)	27 (161.6572)	29 (154.2056)
Oct 19, 2018	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-Off Munfordville, KY	23 / 29 (648.3888)	20 (167.3828)	25 (157.6916)	11 (170.8344)	27 (152.4800)
Sep 21, 2018	Grilling & Chillin BBQ Owensboro, KY	14 / 37 (665.0400)	7 (174.2628)	23 (158.2284)	7 (169.7144)	20 (162.8344)
Aug 24, 2018	Great American BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Franklin, TN	25 / 36 (653.6000)	28 (161.6800)	8 (172.5828)	12 (168.5256)	33 (150.8116)
Jul 27, 2018	Fire on the Mountain Leburn, KY	13 / 13 (619.7716)	12 (159.3828)	13 (147.3600)	12 (154.8000)	12 (158.2288)
Jun 15, 2018	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival Barbourville, KY	30 / 34 (650.1028)	29 (165.1084)	13 (170.2628)	32 (156.5028)	31 (158.2288)
May 18, 2018	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	29 / 43 (655.2916)	25 (165.1084)	29 (161.1088)	29 (163.9772)	22 (165.0972)
Mar 23, 2018	Dickson County Smokefest Dickson, TN	23 / 29 (640.9488)	27 (155.9428)	27 (149.6344)	4 (175.4056)	21 (159.9660)
Nov 10, 2017	Brew B Q Nashville, TN	14 / 26 (675.8628)	6 (177.7028)	10 (173.1316)	19 (165.0856)	21 (159.9428)
Oct 20, 2017	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off Munfordville, KY	23 / 36 (655.7940)	11 (171.9656)	29 (157.6456)	19 (167.9772)	28 (158.2056)
Sep 22, 2017	Grilling & Chillin BBQ Owensboro, KY	31 / 42 (638.6404)	29 (160.5028)	32 (155.9544)	23 (163.9544)	28 (158.2288)
Jul 28, 2017	Fire on the Mountain Leburn, KY	8 / 13 (646.6968)	9 (164.5484)	13 (150.7884)	4 (169.7144)	8 (161.6456)
Jun 16, 2017	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival Barbourville, KY	12 / 31 (669.6344)	9 (170.8456)	16 (167.3944)	20 (163.3944)	13 (168)
May 12, 2017	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	33 / 37 (646.1028)	3 (176.5828)	36 (147.3372)	8 (170.8456)	33 (151.3372)
Apr 7, 2017	First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off (TEAMS FULL) Bowling Green, KY	14 / 40 (678.8228)	20 (166.8572)	30 (166.2628)	25 (166.2628)	3 (179.4400)
Nov 18, 2016	Bar-B-Cure Knoxville, TN	25 / 29 (661.0288)	23 (165.7028)	12 (170.8344)	22 (163.9544)	24 (160.5372)
Sep 16, 2016	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	30 / 31 (624.9720)	24 (166.2516)	31 (147.4060)	29 (158.2172)	30 (153.0972)
Jun 17, 2016	Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival Barbourville, KY	32 / 32 (617.4740)	29 (161.6800)	32 (145.6456)	29 (161.6456)	32 (148.5028)
Apr 1, 2016	Blues Hog BBQ & Music Fest Jackson, TN	60 / 61 (481.0172)	60 (20)	53 (153.1200)	58 (154.8000)	54 (153.0972)
Nov 20, 2015	Bar-B-Cure Knoxville, TN	34 / 35 (608.3660)	35 (144.5372)	34 (153.1088)	26 (162.2400)	32 (148.4800)
Sep 11, 2015	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	29 / 29 (618.6856)	22 (162.2628)	28 (154.2744)	29 (150.7884)	27 (151.3600)
Jun 5, 2015	Bourbon City BBQ Festival Bardstown, KY	—	—	—	—	—

BULLHEADED BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (11 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)