BORDERTOWN BAR B QUE

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#1439

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1568

peak 1568 · rated over 9 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2015-06-13

latest 2021-08-14

Best ToY finish

#719

Master 2016

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

10 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 27%

overall standings

Best overall

671.9312 / 720

Master · BBQ on the Bow

Perfect 180s

Current form

645.40 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 644.09 (+1.32)

Walk rate

100%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

and counting

Best single call

177.1428

Pork · Those Were The Days BBQ Showdown

Consistency

±19.70

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 164.29 · weakest Brisket (158.45)

Road miles

1,640

mi across 9 mapped stops · furthest 408 mi

Schedule strength

13%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1518)

Master avg

644.09 / 720

9 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (10 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

Riding a hot streak

8 straight overall top-10s

Currently on a 8-contest overall top-10 run.

career best 8

Against the odds

28-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 72 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at BBQ on the Bow (2015-09-05) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 28-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, HOUSE OF Q.

Giant slayer

35 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 35-team field at BBQ on the Bow.

2015-09-05

They almost always walk

100% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 9 of 9 contests

A top-10 category call in 100% of their 9 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

671.9312 career-best overall

93.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 671.9312 at BBQ on the Bow — 93.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
2015-09-05

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SMELLAQUE has finished one call ahead of BORDERTOWN BAR B QUE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

7–2 behind in the head-to-head

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMOKERS ahead in 78% of their meetings

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMOKERS has come out ahead in 7 of their 9 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.8 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.85 points below their pork, and turns into a call 67% of the time against 67%.

Brisket avg 158.45
Pork avg 164.29
6 calls in 9 entries

A strong matchup

6–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKIN' SOWBELLIES in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

The comeback

4 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4 years, then back at Porkapalooza BBQ Festival (2021-08-14).

last seen 2017-08-12
back 2021-08-14

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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.

57 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

M R BBQ

#1434 of the rated field

1569 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1573

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2026-07-31

⚔ Head-to-head

Mistler's BBQ

#1432 of the rated field

1569 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 44%
Peak: 1570

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2023-03-24

⚔ Head-to-head

CHARCOAL MONKEY

#1436 of the rated field

1568 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1588

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 3 years before BORDERTOWN BAR B QUE's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 11 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

SIMPLY Q

#1442 of the rated field

1568 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1568

No shared contest yet.

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 33% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2017-09-08

⚔ Head-to-head

CIRCLE R COOKERS

#1440 of the rated field

1568 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1568

No shared contest yet.

Level with BORDERTOWN BAR B QUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2015-10-03

⚔ Head-to-head

CROSSCUT BBQ2

#1444 of the rated field

1568 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1568

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 7 years after BORDERTOWN BAR B QUE did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2026-05-01

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMOKERS	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SMELLAQUE	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
ARROWHEAD NORTH BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' SOWBELLIES	6	6	0	100%	⚔ compare
Smoky Butt BBQ	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
YOU NEED A BBQ	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
SAUCY DAWG BBQ	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
SUPER BBQ BROS. CANADA	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
SMOKAPALOOZA	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
MOTLEY QUE	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
GRILL-BILLY_BBQ	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
THE DEVIL MADE ME Q IT	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	4	0	2	172.5484	151.9544	161.18	top 45%
Pork Ribs	9	6	1	2	169.1312	137.1088	160.17	top 37%
Pork	9	6	2	5	177.1428	149.6572	164.29	top 30%
Brisket	9	6	0	1	170.8572	153.0744	158.45	top 36%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
AB	3	1	top 17%
CA	2	0	top 21%
SK	1	0	top 28%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	0	top 32%
Medium (20–39)	6	1	top 29%
Large (40+)	1	0	top 7%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Those Were The Days BBQ Showdown	2	5	0	top 32%	2017-08-12

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6.2 yrs 2015-06-13 → 2021-08-14

Busiest season 2017 3 contests

Contests a season 2.3 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in AB 3 of 9 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 8 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 9 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 164.29 · weakest Brisket (158.45)

Walk rate 100% a top-10 call in 9 of 9 contests

Overall top-10 rate 89% 8 of 9 contests

Wins it all 11% 1 Grand Championship · 0 reserve

First title 2015-09-05 BBQ on the Bow

Best top-10 run 8 straight contests — and still running

Master average 644.09 out of 720 · 9 contests · 1 GC

Opponents faced 127 191–50 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,640 9 mapped stops · furthest 408 mi

Schedule strength 1518 average field rating faced — tougher than 13% of rated contests

Longest layoff 4 yrs 2017-08-12 → 2021-08-14

Power rating 1568 peak 1568 · #1439 of 6,413 rated

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

2015
Jun 13 First tracked contest Pile of Bones BBQ Championship
Jun 13 First call Pile of Bones BBQ Championship
Sep 5 First category win (Pork) BBQ on the Bow
Sep 5 First overall top-10 BBQ on the Bow
Sep 5 First overall podium BBQ on the Bow
Sep 5 First Grand Championship BBQ on the Bow
Sep 5 First overall past 90% of a perfect score671.9312 BBQ on the Bow
Sep 5 Biggest field won (35 teams) BBQ on the Bow
Sep 5 Career-best overall score671.9312 BBQ on the Bow
2017
Aug 12 Career-best single call (Pork)177.1428 Those Were The Days BBQ Showdown
2021
Aug 14 Peak power rating (1568) Porkapalooza BBQ Festival
Aug 14 Most recent contest Porkapalooza BBQ Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.4	BBQ on the Bow	2015-09-05
+13.9	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	2016-06-18
+11.9	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch	2017-05-13
+7	Those Were The Days BBQ Showdown	2017-08-12
+6.8	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch	2016-05-14

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-2.5	Pile of Bones BBQ Championship	2015-06-13

Category scores over time

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

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	1	0	1	0	100%	top 36%	88.6%	88.6%
2017	3	0	3	1	100%	top 23%	91.8%	89.8%
2016	3	0	3	1	100%	top 24%	90.9%	90.3%
2015	2	1	1	1	100%	top 33%	93.3%	88.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021-08-14	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival SHERWOOD PARK, AB	9 / 25 (638.1828)	2 (165.6800)	12 (158.2628)	18 (154.2400)	8 (160.0000)
2017-08-12	Those Were The Days BBQ Showdown North Battleford, SK	5 / 18 (641.0288)	18 (151.9544)	9 (158.8572)	1 (177.1428)	9 (153.0744)
2017-07-07	*BBQ on the Elbow at the Calgary Stampede Calgary, T2 W 3J6	7 / 23 (638.1832)	20 (152.5372)	18 (153.6800)	9 (161.1088)	2 (170.8572)
2017-05-13	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch Okotoks, AB	4 / 34 (661.0744)	6 (166.8344)	7 (163.9772)	3 (170.2628)	8 (160.0000)
2016-08-06	Those Were The Days BBQ Showdown North Battleford, Saskatchewan, CA	6 / 17 (648.5484)	12 (156.5600)	1 (169.1312)	3 (168.5600)	11 (154.2972)
2016-06-18	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton, CA	3 / 42 (654.1832)	21 (159.3828)	4 (166.2516)	3 (168.0116)	8 (160.5372)
2016-05-14	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch Aldersyde, Alberta Canada, T0L1T0	10 / 34 (646.6972)	2 (172.5484)	9 (166.2628)	20 (153.1088)	19 (154.7772)
2015-09-05	BBQ on the Bow Calgary, AB	1 / 35 (671.9312)	4 (171.4400)	2 (167.9884)	1 (176.5600)	17 (155.9428)
2015-06-13	Pile of Bones BBQ Championship Regina, Saskatchewan Canada,	14 / 22 (596.9488)	11 (153.6456)	20 (137.1088)	12 (149.6572)	5 (156.5372)

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

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021 ↗	Master	#874 (135 pts)	#659 (250 pts)	#1092 (115 pts)	#1173 (85 pts)	#884 (145 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#719 (526 pts)	#850 (446 pts)	#657 (621 pts)	#737 (536 pts)	#979 (356 pts)