THUNDER HOG BBQ IN
Rating
1698
peak 1703 · rated over 52 contests
Best runs
8
straight top-10s
Contests
52
in the data
First seen
2019-03-08
latest 2026-05-15
Best ToY finish
#29
Master 2020
Grand champs
4
3 reserve
Category wins
14
29 podiums
Overall top-10s
27
of 52 contests
Avg finish
top 28%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
688.19 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 682.78 (+5.41)
Walk rate
88%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
8
best run (overall)
Consistency
±9.97
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 172.01 · weakest Pork Ribs (169.27)
Road miles
8057
mi across 52 mapped stops · furthest 524 mi
Schedule strength
55%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1549)
Purse competed for
$337K
listed at 44 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
4 🏅
GCs in 49 state-championship entries
Master avg
682.78 / 720
52 Master contests · 4 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
Can Country Outlaw BBQ has finished one call ahead of THUNDER HOG BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
LOCAL YOKELS BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN has come out ahead in 21 of their 29 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ in 27 of their 28 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Smoke on the Water is their spot: 2 Grand Championships in 3 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 0.0688 points of the Grand Championship at TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest (2020-09-25).
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 41-team field at Rockin' BBQ - Day 1.
🃏 Against the odds
Their Grand Championship at Rockin' BBQ - Day 1 (2021-05-14) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 32-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN.
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 1.9 years, then back at Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues (2024-08-16).
Teams like this (closest power rating, IN first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WeQ4U | 34 | 18 | 16 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 33 | 15 | 18 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE-N-PEPPERS | 31 | 21 | 10 | 68% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 29 | 8 | 21 | 28% | ⚔ compare |
| LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | 28 | 27 | 1 | 96% | ⚔ compare |
| iBQ'n | 28 | 11 | 17 | 39% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 26 | 13 | 13 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. | 26 | 10 | 16 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | 25 | 20 | 5 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| One2BBQ | 24 | 5 | 19 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| UNCLE TOAD'S COMPETITION BBQ | 23 | 17 | 6 | 74% | ⚔ compare |
| SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | 23 | 9 | 14 | 39% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE CHIP BBQ | 23 | 8 | 15 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 23 | 8 | 15 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| Shiggin aint easy | 22 | 13 | 9 | 59% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 52 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 179.4400 | 153.6228 | 170.41 | top 40% |
| Pork Ribs | 52 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 180.0000 🔥 | 155.9316 | 169.27 | top 40% |
| Pork | 52 | 24 | 4 | 9 | 180.0000 🔥 | 162.2512 | 172.01 | top 29% |
| Brisket | 52 | 26 | 3 | 10 | 179.4400 | 154.2284 | 171.09 | top 32% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN | 28 | 3 | top 28% |
| IL | 10 | 0 | top 32% |
| KY | 5 | 1 | top 18% |
| TN | 4 | 0 | top 24% |
| MI | 3 | 0 | top 36% |
| KS | 1 | 0 | top 50% |
| OH | 1 | 0 | top 27% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 26 | 3 | top 30% |
| Large (40+) | 26 | 1 | top 27% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Water | 3 | 1 | 2 | top 16% | 2022-04-29 |
| Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 16% | 2022-08-19 |
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 22% | 2026-03-20 |
| All American BBQ Throwdown | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 38% | 2022-08-05 |
| EffingHAM-JAM | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 20% | 2022-07-22 |
| Harvest on Fire at the Winery | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 16% | 2022-07-08 |
| Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 2 | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 54% | 2022-06-18 |
| Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 1 | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 43% | 2022-06-17 |
| CCSFEST | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 36% | 2022-04-08 |
| Bands & BBQ at the Point | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 29% | 2021-09-10 |
| Smokin For Garrett | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 23% | 2020-10-23 |
| Big Blue Barbecue | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 18% | 2020-08-14 |
| Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 26% | 2020-06-20 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2019 (14 contests)
- Cooks mostly in IN (28 of 52 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (52 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Smoke on the Water (2019-05-04)
- Wins it all in 8% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 682.78 / 720
- 2 perfect 180s on the books 🔥
Milestones
- 🚩 2019-03-08 — First tracked contest · Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
- 📣 2019-03-08 — First call · Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
- 🏆 2019-05-04 — First Grand Championship · Smoke on the Water
- 🎖️ 2020-09-25 — 25th tracked contest · TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest
- ⭐ 2022-04-29 — Career-best overall score (707.9888) · Smoke on the Water
- 🔥 2024-08-16 — First perfect 180 (Pork) · Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues
- 🎖️ 2026-03-20 — 50th tracked contest · Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
- 📈 2026-05-01 — Peak power rating (1703) · Smoke in the Mitten
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.4 | Smoke on the Water | 2019-05-04 |
| +14.4 | Harvest On Fire at The Winery | 2019-07-12 |
| +13.3 | Fire on the Mountain | 2020-07-24 |
| +12.6 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) | 2020-06-20 |
| +11.9 | BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland | 2019-06-28 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.2 | Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 2 | 2021-06-19 |
| -8.3 | Up In Smoke on the Square | 2019-05-31 |
| -7.7 | Smokin' For Garrett | 2022-09-16 |
| -6.9 | Rockin' BBQ - Day 2 | 2021-05-15 |
| -6 | Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition | 2020-11-13 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% | top 25% | 97.5% | 95.8% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 17% | 95.9% | 95.9% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 29% | 96.4% | 95.4% |
| 2022 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 90% | top 30% | 98.3% | 95.4% |
| 2021 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 78% | top 37% | 95.9% | 94.3% |
| 2020 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 85% | top 27% | 97.9% | 94.5% |
| 2019 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 93% | top 25% | 96.7% | 94.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-15 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 12 / 35 (689.1200) | 17 (172.5600) | 26 (167.4400) | 9 (174.2744) | 7 (174.8456) |
| 2026-05-01 | Smoke in the Mitten 🏅 Westland, MI | 11 / 34 (678.8916) | 11 (170.8800) | 24 (165.1200) | 5 (172.5716) | 9 (170.3200) |
| 2026-03-20 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 11 / 125 (702.2168) | 58 (173.1084) | 1 (180.0000) | 19 (176.5600) | 38 (172.5484) |
| 2025-09-12 | Bands and BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 5 / 29 (690.7768) | 9 (171.4284) | 15 (170.8228) | 12 (170.8228) | 4 (177.7028) |
| 2024-09-13 | Smoke on the Ohio 🏅 Mt. Vernon, IN | 11 / 28 (679.9200) | 10 (171.9656) | 11 (171.4172) | 11 (168.5600) | 11 (167.9772) |
| 2024-08-16 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues 🏅 Madison, IN | 9 / 49 (694.2056) | 22 (170.2628) | 19 (170.8228) | 1 (180.0000) | 11 (173.1200) |
| 2022-09-23 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 7 / 46 (697.7028) | 25 (171.9656) | 6 (175.4172) | 6 (174.2972) | 6 (176.0228) |
| 2022-09-16 | Smokin' For Garrett 🏅 Mt. Carmel, IL | 14 / 27 (677.0284) | 26 (153.6228) | 9 (171.9656) | 8 (173.7372) | 3 (177.7028) |
| 2022-08-19 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival 🏅 Madison, IN | 10 / 45 (687.3372) | 20 (170.8228) | 23 (167.9888) | 13 (174.2628) | 9 (174.2628) |
| 2022-08-05 | All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI | 13 / 50 (682.2284) | 22 (169.1200) | 20 (169.1200) | 5 (176.5600) | 22 (167.4284) |
| 2022-07-22 | EffingHAM-JAM 🏅 Effingham, IL | 5 / 25 (683.3716) | 12 (171.4172) | 21 (164.5716) | 11 (168.5256) | 1 (178.8572) |
| 2022-07-08 | Harvest on Fire at the Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 7 / 28 (690.8228) | 19 (170.2856) | 11 (172.5600) | 14 (170.2744) | 2 (177.7028) |
| 2022-06-18 | Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 2 🏅 Franklin, IN | 11 / 27 (685.0400) | 18 (170.8228) | 6 (174.2628) | 23 (165.0972) | 6 (174.8572) |
| 2022-06-17 | Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 1 🏅 Franklin, IN | 19 / 42 (681.6112) | 18 (171.9772) | 23 (167.9656) | 12 (171.9772) | 18 (169.6912) |
| 2022-04-29 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Liberty, IN | 1 / 25 (707.9888) | 1 (178.8572) | 1 (176.0116) | 1 (178.8572) | 2 (174.2628) |
| 2022-04-08 | CCSFEST 🏅 Indianapolis, IN | 21 / 42 (675.3256) | 40 (155.3484) | 15 (171.4172) | 16 (171.9884) | 1 (176.5716) |
| 2021-09-24 | Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 17 / 39 (677.0284) | 25 (165.0856) | 5 (173.7144) | 13 (169.7028) | 21 (168.5256) |
| 2021-09-10 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 10 / 28 (678.7888) | 17 (163.9656) | 9 (169.1316) | 6 (171.9772) | 4 (173.7144) |
| 2021-08-20 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival 🏅 Madison, IN | 4 / 43 (690.7888) | 7 (175.4172) | 8 (171.4172) | 14 (171.9772) | 9 (171.9772) |
| 2021-06-19 | Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 2 🏅 Franklin, IN | 25 / 37 (671.3140) | 19 (170.8456) | 31 (163.3828) | 22 (168.5256) | 18 (168.5600) |
| 2021-06-18 | Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 1 🏅 Franklin, IN | 21 / 51 (674.7312) | 11 (173.7028) | 38 (163.9428) | 15 (171.4172) | 35 (165.6684) |
| 2021-05-15 | Rockin' BBQ - Day 2 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 22 / 39 (668.4684) | 22 (167.9656) | 32 (161.1200) | 8 (173.7028) | 19 (165.6800) |
| 2021-05-14 | Rockin' BBQ - Day 1 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 1 / 41 (690.8000) | 10 (172.0000) | 8 (171.9772) | 19 (169.1200) | 3 (177.7028) |
| 2021-05-01 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Liberty, IN | 11 / 27 (674.1940) | 14 (167.4400) | 14 (165.6800) | 4 (173.7028) | 16 (167.3712) |
| 2021-03-19 | Smoke on The Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 20 / 57 (682.1712) | 38 (164.5256) | 25 (169.6800) | 22 (170.2628) | 5 (177.7028) |
| 2020-11-13 | Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition 🏅 Mayetta, KS | 47 / 94 (685.0628) | 44 (171.4056) | 41 (171.9772) | 27 (174.8572) | 76 (166.8228) |
| 2020-10-23 | Smokin For Garrett Boonville, IN | 9 / 41 (679.3600) | 4 (171.9656) | 25 (162.8688) | 3 (175.4172) | 14 (169.1084) |
| 2020-09-25 | TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest 🏅 Savannah, TN | 2 / 47 (704.5256) | 12 (173.1200) | 4 (178.8572) | 19 (173.1084) | 2 (179.4400) |
| 2020-09-18 | Smokin in the Hills 🏅 Hillsboro, OH | 11 / 41 (678.7428) | 10 (173.1200) | 20 (166.2628) | 15 (168.5372) | 13 (170.8228) |
| 2020-09-12 | Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ Day 2 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 2 / 26 (694.8112) | 1 (177.7028) | 5 (172.5828) | 9 (170.8228) | 8 (173.7028) |
| 2020-09-11 | Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ Day 1 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 13 / 36 (670.7312) | 13 (169.6800) | 7 (171.4172) | 2 (175.4056) | 34 (154.2284) |
| 2020-08-14 | Big Blue Barbecue 🏅 Shelbyville, IN | 6 / 50 (689.6340) | 10 (172.5484) | 10 (171.4056) | 25 (169.6684) | 5 (176.0116) |
| 2020-08-07 | All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI | 21 / 42 (663.4056) | 13 (168.0000) | 23 (164.0000) | 1 (174.8456) | 35 (156.5600) |
| 2020-07-24 | Fire on the Mountain 🏅 Leburn, KY | 1 / 30 (691.4400) | 7 (170.8572) | 1 (176.0000) | 3 (176.5600) | 14 (168.0228) |
| 2020-07-10 | Harvest On the Fire At the Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 31 / 53 (667.8400) | 20 (170.2628) | 46 (155.9316) | 4 (174.2628) | 30 (167.3828) |
| 2020-06-20 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) Franklin, IN | 3 / 63 (685.6572) | 18 (171.4172) | 12 (170.2744) | 10 (172.5600) | 18 (171.4056) |
| 2020-06-19 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 1) Franklin, IN | 32 / 69 (669.0740) | 25 (169.7372) | 51 (160.5256) | 29 (169.1084) | 20 (169.7028) |
| 2020-05-29 | Rockin BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 17 / 66 (666.1368) | 5 (173.7028) | 50 (158.8000) | 24 (166.2512) | 25 (167.3828) |
| 2019-10-04 | Jim Beam BBQ Classic 🏅 Springfield, KY | 5 / 42 (685.0744) | 12 (171.9656) | 2 (174.2972) | 18 (167.9772) | 7 (170.8344) |
| 2019-09-27 | New Albany Blues Brews and BBQ Festival 🏅 New Albany, IN | 5 / 23 (684.4684) | 16 (166.2284) | 12 (165.6800) | 2 (175.4172) | 2 (177.1428) |
| 2019-09-13 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 6 / 28 (685.6344) | 13 (169.6800) | 13 (167.4172) | 4 (173.1200) | 1 (175.4172) |
| 2019-08-16 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival 🏅 Madsion, IN | 8 / 47 (682.7428) | 12 (171.4172) | 13 (171.9772) | 12 (171.9656) | 20 (167.3828) |
| 2019-08-09 | Big Blue Barbecue 🏅 Shelbyville, IN | 7 / 29 (682.7544) | 1 (178.8572) | 22 (163.3944) | 14 (169.6800) | 8 (170.8228) |
| 2019-07-26 | Effingham -Jam 🏅 Effingham, IL | 5 / 26 (678.2628) | 10 (167.9772) | 16 (165.1312) | 6 (171.9772) | 4 (173.1772) |
| 2019-07-12 | Harvest On Fire at The Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 2 / 31 (688.4796) | 2 (179.4400) | 4 (170.8228) | 4 (172.5484) | 14 (165.6684) |
| 2019-06-28 | BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland 🏅 Joliet, IL | 6 / 42 (686.8000) | 13 (172.5944) | 1 (176.0000) | 16 (167.3828) | 11 (170.8228) |
| 2019-05-31 | Up In Smoke on the Square 🏅 Lincoln, IL | 22 / 36 (662.1484) | 34 (157.0628) | 10 (168.5600) | 20 (165.0972) | 7 (171.4284) |
| 2019-05-04 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Liberty, IN | 1 / 26 (696.5140) | 2 (176.5828) | 7 (170.2628) | 2 (176.5600) | 6 (173.1084) |
| 2019-04-26 | Smokin For Garrett 🏅 Boonville, IN | 6 / 26 (684.4912) | 13 (168.5256) | 6 (174.8572) | 1 (177.7028) | 13 (163.4056) |
| 2019-04-05 | CCSFest 🏅 Indianapois, IN | 9 / 40 (679.3140) | 19 (169.1200) | 22 (166.2512) | 17 (167.3828) | 2 (176.5600) |
| 2019-03-22 | PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 🏅 Franklin, IN | 14 / 29 (675.8968) | 4 (177.7028) | 4 (174.2744) | 21 (162.2512) | 22 (161.6684) |
| 2019-03-08 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Nashville, TN | 33 / 67 (673.5884) | 48 (165.0856) | 43 (165.1200) | 6 (175.4056) | 37 (167.9772) |
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 | #348 (444 pts) | #421 (409 pts) | #386 (469 pts) | #324 (479 pts) | #364 (444 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #726 (180 pts) | #902 (140 pts) | #1144 (105 pts) | #935 (120 pts) | #714 (205 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #621 (268 pts) | #770 (203 pts) | #794 (213 pts) | #494 (408 pts) | #679 (253 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #123 (1427 pts) | #225 (987 pts) | #155 (1282 pts) | #110 (1422 pts) | #40 (1947 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #240 (795 pts) | #379 (530 pts) | #298 (705 pts) | #238 (810 pts) | #224 (890 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #29 (1776 pts) | #31 (1561 pts) | #54 (1366 pts) | #20 (1756 pts) | #59 (1236 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #91 (1914 pts) | #105 (1710 pts) | #88 (1758 pts) | #71 (1864 pts) | #68 (1873 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #551 (648 pts) | #588 (638 pts) | #441 (828 pts) | #550 (678 pts) | #672 (543 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #70 (2134 pts) | #57 (2061 pts) | #76 (1943 pts) | #111 (1774 pts) | #96 (1853 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #62 (2226 pts) | #76 (1934 pts) | #86 (1866 pts) | #75 (1915 pts) | #28 (2338 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #117 (1930 pts) | #160 (1565 pts) | #128 (1695 pts) | #99 (1783 pts) | #162 (1653 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #145 (1768 pts) | #94 (1878 pts) | #205 (1430 pts) | #119 (1738 pts) | #203 (1473 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #273 (1095 pts) | #249 (1135 pts) | #293 (1025 pts) | #279 (1035 pts) | #270 (1095 pts) |