BBQ Hot Yard

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

Power ranking

#926

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1612

peak 1612 · rated over 28 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s · 2 straight GCs

Contests

in the data

First seen

2023-08-12

latest 2026-08-29

Best ToY finish

Master 2026

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

39 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 56 contests

Avg finish

top 48%

overall standings

Best overall

702.2516 / 720

Master · Vuur en Vlees

Perfect 180s

5 🔥

Current form

697.91 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 674.28 (+23.63)

Walk rate

86%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork Ribs · Smoke in the North (Day 1)

Consistency

±26.07

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.69 · weakest Brisket (166.22)

Road miles

17,911

mi across 56 mapped stops · furthest 4933 mi

Schedule strength

37%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)

Master avg

674.28 / 720

29 Master contests · 3 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (17 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

5 straight overall top-10s

Currently on a 5-contest overall top-10 run — including 2 straight Grand Championships.

career best 7
2 straight GCs

The 180 club

5 perfect 180s

5 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.

Pork Ribs ×4
Chicken ×1

Against the odds

18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 82 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Marchfelder Feuerfest (2026-05-02) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 18-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, COOKLOUNGE BBQ.

On the rise

+131 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 131 points across 18 contests since 2025-09-12 — from 1481 up to 1612.

18 contests since 2025-09-12
now 1612

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

Smoke in the North (Day 2) is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 1st
average top 7%

Multi-meat days

2 contests with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 2 times — the best of them 2 category wins at Vuur en Vlees (2026-08-29).

Pork 1st
Brisket 1st

They almost always walk

86% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 48 of 56 contests

A top-10 category call in 86% of their 56 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

702.2516 career-best overall

97.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 702.2516 at Vuur en Vlees — 97.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
2026-08-29

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

Onkel Felix BBQ has finished one call ahead of BBQ Hot Yard 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2026 3 Grand Championships

2026 was the year it came together: 29 contests, 3 Grand Championships and 12 category wins, at an average finish in the top 28%.

29 contests
13 overall top-10s
12 category wins
average top 28%

A tough matchup

11–3 behind in the head-to-head

Smoky Cotte ahead in 79% of their meetings

Smoky Cotte has come out ahead in 11 of their 14 shared contests.

A strong matchup

5–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 83% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Art Razza Piave Bbq in 5 of their 6 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

11 of 18 shared chicken entries lost

Onkel Felix BBQ ahead 61% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Onkel Felix BBQ has out-cooked them in 11 of 18 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

Onkel Felix BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.

An April team

Top 22% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 22% across 3 contests, versus top 48% the rest of the year.

3 April contests
top 48% the rest of the year

The long haul

17,911 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 17,911 miles across 56 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 4,933 miles to 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Chicken Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026).

56 mapped stops
furthest 4,933 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Wild West Fest on Fire 2026 every year from 2023 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 6th

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.

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

PAPA'S PIT CREW

#929 of the rated field

1612 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1612

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to BBQ Hot Yard)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BBQ Hot Yard has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 51 contests
last seen 2026-08-14

⚔ Head-to-head

A Good Rub BBQ

#928 of the rated field

1612 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1623

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2023, 3 years before BBQ Hot Yard's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 28 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

SOUTHERN QUE

#922 of the rated field

1613 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1615

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 21 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2018-05-04

⚔ Head-to-head

NEW REVOLUTION Q

#923 of the rated field

1612 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 39
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1617

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than BBQ Hot Yard has cooked, 39 to 56, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 39 contests
last seen 2018-07-27

⚔ Head-to-head

Eggspert BBQ Minnesota

#924 of the rated field

1612 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1613

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 22 contests, alongside a 41% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2024-10-30

⚔ Head-to-head

COUNTY LINE SMOKERS

#925 of the rated field

1612 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1622

No shared contest yet.

They were already cooking in 2013, 10 years before BBQ Hot Yard's first contest.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2018-09-15

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
COOKLOUNGE BBQ	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
Onkel Felix BBQ	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
Smoky Cotte	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
Szendo Smoke BBQ Team	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare
SCHLUCHTENGRILLER BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
Woodquarter Smokerheads	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
Barbecoa BBQ Team	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
SOUTH BRIXIA	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
Westside BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
The Antwerp Smokers	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
The BBQ Ranch	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Art Razza Piave Bbq	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
Stammtischgriller	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
Smoking Butcher	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	36	25	3	5	180.0000 🔥	151.3484	169.69	top 55%
Pork Ribs	46	34	8	16	180.0000 🔥	148.5488	168.69	top 50%
Pork	30	21	2	7	179.4400	150.2856	169.28	top 50%
Brisket	31	23	3	11	177.1544	142.8116	166.22	top 47%

“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
NO	2	1	top 44%
TN	1	0	top 73%
LT	1	0	top 9%
BZ	1	0	top 50%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	18	2	top 56%
Medium (20–39)	9	1	top 34%
Large (40+)	2	0	top 40%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Wild West Fest on Fire 2026	4	6	0	top 66%	2026-08-08
Smoke in the North (Day 2)	2	1	1	top 7%	2026-08-22
Marchfelder Feuerfest	2	1	1	top 44%	2026-05-02
The War of Barbeque	2	9	0	top 43%	2026-06-20
Vienna BBQ Days	2	11	0	top 100%	2025-10-18

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

On the trail 3 yrs 2023-08-12 → 2026-08-29

Busiest season 2026 29 contests · 3 GCs

Contests a season 14 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NO 4 of 56 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 22 5 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 46 entries · 8 wins · 34 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 169.69 · weakest Brisket (166.22)

Walk rate 86% a top-10 call in 48 of 56 contests

Overall top-10 rate 38% 21 of 56 contests

Wins it all 5% 3 Grand Championships · 2 reserve

First title 2026-05-02 Marchfelder Feuerfest

Best top-10 run 7 straight contests

Master average 674.28 out of 720 · 29 contests · 3 GCs

Perfect 180s 5 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 288 311–248 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 17,911 56 mapped stops · furthest 4,933 mi

Schedule strength 1548 average field rating faced — tougher than 37% of rated contests

Power rating 1612 peak 1612 · #926 of 6,413 rated

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

2023
Aug 12 First tracked contest Wild West Fest on Fire
Aug 12 First call Wild West Fest on Fire
2024
Aug 10 First overall top-10 Wild West Fest on Fire
2025
Mar 29 First category win (Chicken) BBQ Expo Master's Challenge
Mar 29 First perfect 180 (Chicken) BBQ Expo Master's Challenge
Mar 29 First overall past 90% of a perfect score686.2172 BBQ Expo Master's Challenge
May 3 10th tracked contest Marchfelder Feuerfest
Jun 28 First overall podium Mee(a)t and Fire BBQ Festival Innsbruck
Oct 11 25th tracked contest V. I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition
2026
Feb 28 First multi-meat day Vienna Pet Fair BBQ Contest
Apr 24 First Reserve Championship Spitsbroek on Fire III
May 2 First Grand Championship Marchfelder Feuerfest
Jul 11 10th category win No Smoke, No Glory (ONE MEAT RIBS)
Aug 7 50th tracked contest Wild West Fest on Fire 2026 (ONE MEAT RIBS)
Aug 21 5th perfect 180 Smoke in the North (Day 1)
Aug 29 Career-best overall score702.2516 Vuur en Vlees
Aug 29 Peak power rating (1612) Vuur en Vlees
Aug 29 Most recent contest Vuur en Vlees

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.8	Marchfelder Feuerfest	2026-05-02
+16.5	Spitsbroek on Fire III	2026-04-24
+15.9	BBQ Expo Master's Challenge	2026-04-11
+14.4	Vienna Pet Fair BBQ Contest	2026-02-28
+13.4	Twin Smoke	2026-05-15

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12	Vienna BBQ Days	2024-10-19
-10.8	Wild West Fest on Fire	2023-08-12
-10.4	Vienna BBQ Days	2025-10-18
-10.2	Muehlviertler BBQ Festival	2025-05-17
-9.8	Wild West Fest on Fire	2024-08-10

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)
2026	29	3	13	12	86%	top 28%	97.5%	95.8%
2025	22	0	7	4	91%	top 63%	96.9%	92.9%
2024	4	0	1	0	50%	top 95%	86.7%	86.1%
2023	1	0	0	0	100%	top 92%	85.4%	85.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-08-29	Vuur en Vlees Deurne, 5753 SG	1 / 8 (702.2516)	3 (173.7028)	2 (175.4288)	1 (178.8572)	1 (174.2628)
2026-08-22	Smoke in the North (Day 2) Boras, 50113	1 / 26 (697.6572)	9 (173.1200)	2 (178.8572)	7 (169.1200)	3 (176.5600)
2026-08-21	Smoke in the North (Day 1) Boras, 50113	3 / 28 (697.1200)	10 (170.2856)	1 (180.0000)	5 (174.2744)	8 (172.5600)
2026-08-14	Cars & BBQ Festival 2026 Tallinn, 15026	3 / 17 (701.1200)	11 (169.7144)	1 (180.0000)	8 (174.2628)	2 (177.1428)
2026-08-08	Wild West Fest on Fire 2026 Medvode, 1215	6 / 18 (691.4064)	6 (175.4288)	2 (176.5716)	5 (175.4288)	11 (163.9772)
2026-08-07	Wild West Fest on Fire 2026 (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Medvode, 1215	—	10 (163.9544)	—	—	—
2026-08-07	Wild West Fest on Fire 2026 (ONE MEAT RIBS) Medvode, 1215	—	—	3 (171.9772)	—	—
2026-07-25	Waiting for W.E.S.T. (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Sand in Taufers / Campo Tures , 39032	—	1 (178.8572)	—	—	—
2026-07-25	Waiting for W.E.S.T. (ONE MEAT RIBS) Sand in Taufers / Campo Tures , 39032	—	—	1 (175.4056)	—	—
2026-07-11	No Smoke, No Glory (ONE MEAT BRISKET) Zagreb, 10000	—	—	—	—	2 (176.5600)
2026-07-11	No Smoke, No Glory (ONE MEAT RIBS) Zagreb, 10000	—	—	1 (180.0000)	—	—
2026-07-10	No Smoke, No Glory Zagreb, 10000	11 / 16 (675.9088)	4 (177.7028)	9 (173.1200)	11 (170.2972)	15 (154.7888)
2026-06-20	The War of Barbeque Peschiera del Garda, 37019	9 / 25 (685.6228)	5 (175.4056)	9 (173.1084)	21 (164.5372)	8 (172.5716)
2026-06-20	The War of Barbeque (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Peschiera del Garda, 37019	—	16 (164.0000)	—	—	—
2026-06-20	The War of Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS) Peschiera del Garda, 37019	—	—	4 (175.4172)	—	—
2026-05-23	8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN	85 / 117 (678.7772)	48 (173.7144)	116 (160.5028)	82 (168.0000)	20 (176.5600)
2026-05-22	8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Chicken Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN	—	67 (166.8228)	—	—	—
2026-05-22	8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Rib Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN	—	—	78 (158.2056)	—	—
2026-05-15	Twin Smoke Vilnius, LT	2 / 23 (693.6916)	7 (167.9888)	5 (172.0000)	2 (177.1428)	1 (176.5600)
2026-05-02	Marchfelder Feuerfest Orth an der Donau, NO	1 / 8 (699.3828)	8 (173.1084)	4 (172.5600)	4 (176.5600)	1 (177.1544)
2026-05-02	Marchfelder Feuerfest (ONE MEAT RIBS) Orth an der Donau, NO	—	—	3 (169.6916)	—	—
2026-04-25	Spitsbroek on Fire IV Eede Holland, 4529 PW	6 / 15 (673.6344)	5 (170.8344)	10 (162.8000)	3 (174.2856)	9 (165.7144)
2026-04-24	Spitsbroek on Fire III Eede Holland, 4529 PW	2 / 11 (678.2056)	7 (168.5372)	1 (171.4056)	7 (165.1200)	2 (173.1428)
2026-04-11	BBQ Expo Master's Challenge PARMA, 43126	3 / 42 (694.8116)	11 (175.4172)	13 (169.6916)	7 (174.2628)	3 (175.4400)
2026-03-07	W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol Muhlwald - Selva di Molini, BZ	5 / 10 (685.0512)	7 (172.5484)	6 (169.6800)	5 (173.7028)	4 (169.1200)
2026-03-07	W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Muhlwald - Selva di Molini, BZ	—	7 (161.0856)	—	—	—
2026-03-07	W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol (ONE MEAT RIBS) Muhlwald - Selva di Molini, BZ	—	—	8 (165.7144)	—	—
2026-02-28	Vienna Pet Fair BBQ Contest Vienna, 1030	3 / 12 (687.3484)	1 (179.4400)	8 (163.9428)	1 (179.4400)	7 (164.5256)
2026-02-28	Vienna Pet Fair BBQ Contest (ONE MEAT RIBS) Vienna, 1030	—	—	3 (175.4288)	—	—
2025-10-18	Vienna BBQ Days Vienna, 1110	11 / 11 (636.9028)	4 (170.8228)	11 (158.2400)	11 (159.3600)	11 (148.4800)
2025-10-18	Vienna BBQ Days (ONE MEAT RIBS) Vienna, 1110	—	—	10 (170.8344)	—	—
2025-10-11	V. I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition Szerencs, 3900	14 / 21 (677.0400)	5 (177.7028)	16 (166.2516)	15 (165.0972)	9 (167.9884)
2025-10-11	V. I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS) Szerencs, 3900	—	—	8 (161.7028)	—	—
2025-09-20	Fo.G & Smoke 2025 Spilamberto, I-41057	13 / 24 (674.2056)	6 (174.2628)	8 (169.6800)	9 (172.5600)	21 (157.7028)
2025-09-12	Bulgarian Barbecue Championship Sofia, 1000	4 / 11 (697.6572)	2 (176.0000)	2 (176.5716)	3 (177.7028)	4 (167.3828)
2025-08-09	Wild West Fest on Fire Medvode, 1215	10 / 20 (679.2796)	16 (164.5140)	11 (168.5372)	2 (178.8572)	10 (167.3712)
2025-08-09	Wild West Fest on Fire (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Medvode, 1215	—	8 (170.2628)	—	—	—
2025-08-09	Wild West Fest on Fire (ONE MEAT RIBS) Medvode, 1215	—	—	1 (177.1544)	—	—
2025-06-28	Mee(a)t and Fire BBQ Festival Innsbruck Innsbruck, 6020	3 / 7 (693.6456)	7 (165.1200)	1 (180.0000)	2 (175.4172)	3 (173.1084)
2025-06-28	Mee(a)t and Fire BBQ Festival Innsbruck (ONE MEAT RIBS) Innsbruck, 6020	—	—	3 (167.9888)	—	—
2025-06-14	The War of Barbeque Peschiera del Garda, 37019	10 / 20 (682.2056)	9 (173.1084)	4 (176.5600)	8 (172.5600)	17 (159.9772)
2025-06-14	The War of Barbeque (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Peschiera del Garda, 37019	—	17 (166.2856)	—	—	—
2025-06-14	The War of Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS) Peschiera del Garda, 37019	—	—	12 (167.4056)	—	—
2025-05-17	Muehlviertler BBQ Festival Freistadt, Os 4240	14 / 15 (638.7884)	13 (162.2400)	14 (161.7256)	8 (162.2628)	14 (152.5600)
2025-05-17	Muehlviertler BBQ Festival (ONE MEAT BRISKET) Freistadt, Os 4240	—	—	—	—	3 (167.4172)
2025-05-17	Muehlviertler BBQ Festival (ONE MEAT PORK) Freistadt, Os 4240	—	—	—	5 (173.1200)	—
2025-05-03	Marchfelder Feuerfest Orth an der Donau, NO	9 / 12 (647.2800)	9 (163.3940)	1 (175.4400)	11 (157.0744)	10 (151.3716)
2025-05-03	Marchfelder Feuerfest (ONE MEAT RIBS) Orth an der Donau, NO	—	—	7 (163.4400)	—	—
2025-03-29	BBQ Expo Master's Challenge Brescia, 25125	9 / 30 (686.2172)	1 (180.0000)	26 (161.0972)	17 (169.6800)	3 (175.4400)
2025-03-01	Vienna Pet Fair BBQ Vienna, 1030	4 / 4 (645.0284)	4 (165.0740)	4 (170.3200)	4 (158.2400)	4 (151.3944)
2025-03-01	Vienna Pet Fair BBQ (ONE MEAT RIBS) Vienna, 1030	—	—	4 (158.2516)	—	—
2024-10-19	Vienna BBQ Days Vienna, 1110	14 / 14 (614.7544)	14 (161.7372)	13 (159.3828)	14 (150.8228)	14 (142.8116)
2024-10-19	Vienna BBQ Days (ONE MEAT RIBS) Vienna, 1110	—	—	18 (150.2056)	—	—
2024-08-10	Wild West Fest on Fire Medvode, 1215	10 / 11 (624.4000)	11 (151.3484)	10 (148.5488)	10 (159.9772)	7 (164.5256)
2024-08-10	Wild West Fest on Fire (ONE MEAT RIBS) Medvode, 1215	—	—	6 (168.5600)	—	—
2023-08-12	Wild West Fest on Fire Medvode, 1215	11 / 12 (614.8112)	11 (155.4628)	11 (150.2628)	11 (150.2856)	6 (158.8000)

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
2026 ↗	Master	#9 (2328 pts)	#22 (1849 pts)	#2 (2474 pts)	#14 (1993 pts)	#2 (2293 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#138 (1390 pts)	#68 (1744 pts)	#33 (2075 pts)	#79 (1654 pts)	#96 (1578 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#716 (205 pts)	#773 (200 pts)	#523 (443 pts)	#752 (205 pts)	#701 (235 pts)