They almost always walk
82%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 28 of 34 contests
A top-10 category call in 82% of their 34 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
TRANQUIL CARNIVORES
TRANQUIL CARNIVORES is a competition barbecue team with 34 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 15 at the Blue Mountain BBQ Champion (2013), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1608 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1557
peak 1582 · rated over 34 contests
Contests
34
in the data
First seen
Jun 14, 2013
latest Jun 19, 2026 · 13 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
4
14 podiums
Overall top-10s
14
41% of 34 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 43%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
665.33 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 647.11 (+18.22)
Walk rate
82%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±18.98
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 164.33 · weakest Brisket (157.65)
Road miles
8,085
across 34 mapped stops · furthest 1,950 mi
Schedule strength
27%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1537)
Purse competed for
$29K
listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 2 state-championship entries
Master avg
647.11 / 720
34 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 | #1053 (64 pts) | #1379 (59 pts) | #1151 (79 pts) | #1083 (69 pts) | #1028 (89 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #963 (112 pts) | #846 (167 pts) | #1178 (97 pts) | #1082 (92 pts) | #1000 (112 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1006 (101 pts) | #1061 (111 pts) | #1141 (106 pts) | #994 (116 pts) | #1029 (106 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #615 (262 pts) | #539 (362 pts) | #628 (337 pts) | #634 (272 pts) | #780 (202 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #818 (156 pts) | #1051 (116 pts) | #872 (166 pts) | #880 (146 pts) | #880 (146 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #579 (570 pts) | #484 (700 pts) | #666 (510 pts) | #500 (690 pts) | #708 (470 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #720 (467 pts) | #741 (472 pts) | #590 (617 pts) | #687 (537 pts) | #862 (387 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #778 (485 pts) | #1035 (355 pts) | #828 (480 pts) | #828 (485 pts) | #736 (535 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #607 (642 pts) | #631 (647 pts) | #665 (612 pts) | #891 (437 pts) | #845 (442 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #550 (685 pts) | #544 (715 pts) | #674 (570 pts) | #485 (805 pts) | #496 (755 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #946 (336 pts) | #759 (491 pts) | #1021 (331 pts) | #942 (376 pts) | #841 (411 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #930 (315 pts) | #1281 (215 pts) | #927 (340 pts) | #820 (400 pts) | #1098 (265 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to TRANQUIL CARNIVORES, each with one reason worth a look.
49 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,622 of the rated field
- Contests
- 35
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 23%
- Peak
- 1572
7–8 in 15 shared contests (47% to TRANQUIL CARNIVORES)
These two have cooked 15 of the same contests — KISS MY BBQ ahead 8–7 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,623 of the rated field
- Contests
- 40
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1557
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 37 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,621 of the rated field
- Contests
- 30
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1557
Careers of much the same size, 30 contests to 34, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,604 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 5%
- Peak
- 1562
41 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 5% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,603 of the rated field
- Contests
- 49
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 16%
- Peak
- 1602
Their last contest in the data was back in 2020, 6 years before TRANQUIL CARNIVORES's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,624 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1559
Level with TRANQUIL CARNIVORES on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | 24 | 7 | 17 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| THE GOOD CUE CREW | 20 | 11 | 9 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| BEHIND BBQ | 20 | 7 | 13 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| GOOD SMOKE BBQ | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| JACK9 BBQ | 15 | 8 | 7 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| KISS MY BBQ | 15 | 7 | 8 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| Q'N CANUCKS | 15 | 4 | 11 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | 15 | 3 | 12 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| RED VALLEY BBQ | 14 | 5 | 9 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM EATAPEDIA | 14 | 5 | 9 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| Sweet Heat BBQ | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAN MOE'S BBQ | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Cousin's Catering and BBQ | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BELLY BBQ | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 34 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 175.4056 | 149.6572 | 164.22 | top 45% |
| Pork Ribs | 34 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 176.0002 | 134.9032 | 160.91 | top 48% |
| Pork | 34 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 175.4284 | 149.1084 | 164.33 | top 42% |
| Brisket | 34 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 171.4172 | 142.2288 | 157.65 | top 53% |
“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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 8 | 0 | top 37% |
| Medium (20–39) | 13 | 0 | top 53% |
| Large (40+) | 13 | 0 | top 38% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oinktoberfest | 6 | 8 | 0 | top 39% | Sep 21, 2019 |
| Smokey Skies BBQ Competition | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 70% | Jun 19, 2026 |
| Ayr Charity BBQ | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 41% | Jun 21, 2019 |
| BBQ in The Valley | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 59% | May 4, 2018 |
| Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 46% | Jun 19, 2015 |
| Roc City Rib Fest | 2 | 23 | 0 | top 59% | May 23, 2015 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2019
5 contests
Contests a season
2.8
across 12 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NY
16 of 34 contests · 4 states and provinces in all
Contests visited
24
6 of them more than once
Opponents faced
393
finished ahead 661 times, behind 505
Longest layoff
2 yrs
Sep 21, 2019 → Sep 11, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Smokey Skies BBQ Competition
20191 milestone
- 25th tracked contest Ribs and Rhythm & Blues
20181 milestone
- Peak power rating (1582) Oinktoberfest
20151 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Fatboys Canadian Capital Classic BBQ Competition
20139 milestones
- First tracked contest Blue Mountain BBQ Champion
- First call Blue Mountain BBQ Champion
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Blue Mountain BBQ Champion
- First overall top-10 Blue Mountain BBQ Champion
- First overall podium Blue Mountain BBQ Champion
- First Reserve Championship Blue Mountain BBQ Champion
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score686.2852 Blue Mountain BBQ Champion
- Career-best overall score686.2852 Blue Mountain BBQ Champion
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)176.0002 Blue Mountain BBQ Champion
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.7 | Blue Mountain BBQ Champion | Jun 14, 2013 |
| +13.3 | Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff | Sep 23, 2016 |
| +13.1 | Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festval | Jul 10, 2015 |
| +10.8 | Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship | Aug 6, 2016 |
| +10.6 | Oinktoberfest | Sep 19, 2015 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13 | Smokey Skies BBQ Competition | Jun 19, 2026 |
| -10.4 | Rumble on the River | Jul 26, 2019 |
| -8.2 | Roc City Rib Fest | May 24, 2014 |
| -6.2 | Oinktoberfest | Sep 21, 2019 |
| -5.5 | Smoke 'N the Valley | Sep 21, 2024 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 92% | 88.6% | 88.6% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 48% | 93.9% | 93.9% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 67% | 91.5% | 91.5% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 45% | 94.8% | 94% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 38% | 90.3% | 90.3% |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 80% | top 48% | 91.2% | 89.6% |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 100% | top 44% | 91.7% | 89.4% |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75% | top 43% | 91% | 89.5% |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100% | top 26% | 91.9% | 90.1% |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 100% | top 30% | 94% | 89.9% |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 57% | 89.4% | 87.4% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 38% | 95.3% | 90.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 2026 | Smokey Skies BBQ Competition Kipling, SK | 22 / 24 (638.1940) | 23 (154.8340) | 19 (161.6684) | 21 (158.2972) | 17 (163.3944) |
| Jun 21, 2025 | Smokey Skies BBQ Competition Kipling, SK | 13 / 27 (675.9200) | 6 (172.5600) | 16 (166.8572) | 17 (169.1200) | 13 (167.3828) |
| Sep 21, 2024 | Smoke 'N the Valley Fort Qu'Appelle, SK | 14 / 21 (658.8000) | 12 (166.8228) | 13 (168.0572) | 11 (165.1200) | 13 (158.8000) |
| Sep 23, 2023 | Smoke 'N the Valley Lumsden, SK | 9 / 26 (682.8456) | 3 (174.2972) | 8 (170.8572) | 10 (174.2856) | 16 (163.4056) |
| Jun 16, 2023 | Father's Day Smoke n' Bones BBQ Regina, SK | 9 / 16 (670.9032) | 8 (169.7028) | 4 (172.5944) | 7 (172.0116) | 12 (156.5944) |
| Sep 11, 2021 | Jack 9 Memorial Delhi, ON | 6 / 16 (650.1028) | 10 (162.7884) | 5 (166.2400) | 7 (164.5600) | 7 (156.5144) |
| Sep 21, 2019 | Oinktoberfest 🏅 Clarence, NY | 20 / 43 (644.9484) | 21 (163.3944) | 20 (162.8228) | 22 (161.6684) | 28 (157.0628) |
| Aug 23, 2019 | Summer Daze BBQ Classic Niagara Falls, ON | 6 / 23 (656.9944) | 12 (163.3944) | 9 (163.3828) | 3 (167.4172) | 9 (162.8000) |
| Jul 26, 2019 | Rumble on the River Morris MB | 9 / 15 (629.6800) | 2 (169.2116) | 9 (157.1316) | 12 (149.1084) | 11 (154.2284) |
| Jul 20, 2019 | Ribs and Rhythm & Blues 🏅 Auburn, NY | 21 / 34 (639.9092) | 10 (168.5600) | 22 (163.9888) | 12 (165.1316) | 32 (142.2288) |
| Jun 21, 2019 | Ayr Charity BBQ Ayr Ontario | 11 / 23 (654.1716) | 9 (169.1428) | 16 (157.6572) | 6 (169.1200) | 13 (158.2516) |
| Sep 22, 2018 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 19 / 51 (628.3656) | 18 (159.3828) | 32 (153.0744) | 7 (166.8228) | 30 (149.0856) |
| Jul 13, 2018 | Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic Niagara Falls, ON | 10 / 24 (660.5144) | 12 (166.2284) | 6 (167.4516) | 18 (162.2744) | 10 (164.5600) |
| Jun 22, 2018 | Ayr Charity BBQ Ayr Ontario | 6 / 18 (646.7432) | 6 (167.4516) | 10 (158.2288) | 4 (167.9772) | 8 (153.0856) |
| May 4, 2018 | BBQ in The Valley Jamestown, NY | 16 / 25 (639.8628) | 14 (161.1200) | 1 (170.2972) | 16 (158.2400) | 22 (150.2056) |
| Sep 22, 2017 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 23 / 53 (637.0288) | 37 (157.6916) | 37 (154.8000) | 15 (162.2628) | 13 (162.2744) |
| Jun 9, 2017 | Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival Drayton Ontario | 11 / 22 (637.0512) | 21 (154.7884) | 7 (164) | 10 (162.8800) | 14 (155.3828) |
| Jun 3, 2017 | Craze Fest Georgina, ON | 4 / 17 (655.3828) | 11 (161.1428) | 4 (167.9772) | 9 (161.1428) | 3 (165.1200) |
| May 5, 2017 | BBQ In the Valley Jamestown, NY | 14 / 26 (647.2684) | 12 (166.8112) | 20 (157.1088) | 10 (166.2400) | 16 (157.1084) |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY | 3 / 54 (661.0972) | 3 (170.2856) | 4 (170.8688) | 28 (159.3940) | 21 (160.5488) |
| Aug 6, 2016 | Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship Ottawa, CA | 6 / 41 (623.8856) | 28 (149.6572) | 13 (154.8456) | 7 (162.8228) | 7 (156.5600) |
| Jul 8, 2016 | Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sound Festival Drayton, ON | 9 / 17 (648.4912) | 10 (159.4056) | 6 (166.2744) | 12 (163.3828) | 8 (159.4284) |
| May 28, 2016 | Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY | 16 / 50 (661.6112) | 3 (175.4056) | 12 (168.5828) | 16 (165.6800) | 40 (151.9428) |
| Sep 19, 2015 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 8 / 52 (657.0632) | 4 (168.5828) | 19 (161.7032) | 1 (174.2744) | 28 (152.5028) |
| Aug 8, 2015 | Fatboys Canadian Capital Classic BBQ Competition Ottawa, ON | 11 / 22 (608.9940) | 8 (156.5484) | 16 (143.9312) | 14 (152.5144) | 3 (156) |
| Jul 10, 2015 | Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festval Drayton, ON | 3 / 18 (676.5484) | 2 (174.8456) | 1 (172.5828) | 3 (174.2972) | 16 (154.8228) |
| Jun 19, 2015 | Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY | 12 / 47 (643.3832) | 34 (155.4172) | 27 (157.1544) | 23 (159.3944) | 4 (171.4172) |
| May 23, 2015 | Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY | 23 / 57 (650.1600) | 33 (163.4056) | 54 (147.9316) | 11 (169.1200) | 6 (169.7028) |
| Sep 20, 2014 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 18 / 66 (638.2056) | 4 (170.8456) | 41 (152.5372) | 12 (166.8456) | 50 (147.9772) |
| Aug 8, 2014 | Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY | 22 / 39 (643.8972) | 33 (156.5372) | 16 (163.4056) | 30 (154.2172) | 5 (169.7372) |
| Jun 13, 2014 | Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY | 31 / 47 (620.5144) | 14 (166.8800) | 45 (143.9772) | 20 (162.8228) | 37 (146.8344) |
| May 24, 2014 | Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY | 66 / 86 (613.6800) | 48 (158.8800) | 58 (152) | 53 (155.9772) | 71 (146.8228) |
| Sep 20, 2013 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 44 / 71 (613.1660) | 24 (162.2856) | 62 (134.9032) | 9 (167.4172) | 51 (148.5600) |
| Jun 14, 2013 | Blue Mountain BBQ Champion Blue Mountain, On | 2 / 15 (686.2852) | 8 (165.1426) | 1 (176.0002) | 2 (175.4284) | 4 (169.7140) |