Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.
- Chicken ×1
Wild West BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1482
peak 1501 · rated over 23 contests ⓘ
Contests
24
in the data
First seen
2015-05-23
latest 2026-07-24
Best ToY finish
#215
Master 2026
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
2
7 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
of 24 contests
Avg finish
top 66%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
683.69 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 661.88 (+21.81)
Walk rate
46%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±22.84
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 168.80 · weakest Brisket (162.14)
Road miles
24,797
mi across 24 mapped stops · furthest 9039 mi
Schedule strength
57%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1573)
Purse competed for
$214K
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 18 state-championship entries
Master avg
661.88 / 720
23 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (12 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.
On the rise
+33
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 33 points across 8 contests since 2025-11-21 — from 1449 up to 1482.
- 8 contests since 2025-11-21
- now 1482
High-water mark
699.9544
career-best overall
97.2% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 699.9544 at Dillon Days Blowin' Smoke BBQ Cook Off — 97.2% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2026-07-03
Their season
2026
their best year
2026 was the year it came together: 7 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 52%.
- 7 contests
- 2 overall top-10s
- 1 category wins
- average top 52%
A tough matchup
12–0
behind in the head-to-head
SLINGIN MEATS ahead in 100% of their meetings
SLINGIN MEATS has come out ahead in 12 of their 12 shared contests.
The weak link
−6.7
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.66 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 22% of the time against 35%.
- Brisket avg 162.14
- Chicken avg 168.80
- 5 calls in 23 entries
A strong matchup
4–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 80% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of BIG BOYZ BBQ in 4 of their 5 shared contests.
The comeback
3.5 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 3.5 years, then back at Hill City Wine Brew and BBQ Fest (2021-08-27).
- last seen 2018-02-10
- back 2021-08-27
Chicken nemesis
7 of 10
shared chicken entries lost
Brinkerhoff BBQ ahead 70% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, Brinkerhoff BBQ has out-cooked them in 7 of 10 shared chicken entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
A July team
Top 45%
average finish in July
Something about July: average finish in the top 45% across 3 contests, versus top 66% the rest of the year.
- 3 July contests
- top 66% the rest of the year
The long haul
24,797
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 24,797 miles across 24 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 9,039 miles to Melbourne Barbecue Festival.
- 24 mapped stops
- furthest 9,039 mi
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.
114 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4041 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1522
1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to Wild West BBQ)
These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — TJOPPIE DOPPIE BBQ TEAM ahead 2–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#4037 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 4%
- Peak
- 1522
No shared contest yet.
They've been 1522 at their best, 40 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#4059 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1513
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before Wild West BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#4034 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 12%
- Peak
- 1505
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 17 contests to 24, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#4043 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1482
No shared contest yet.
14 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Head-to-head#4032 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1505
No shared contest yet.
Level with Wild West BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SinBin BBQ | 14 | 5 | 9 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| Tuffy's BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| SLINGIN MEATS | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 1 Bite BBQ | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Brinkerhoff BBQ | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 5XL BBQ | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Juicy BBQ | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CROOKED PIGS | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Meat Candy Q | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Texas Smoke Whisperer | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| GIRLS CAN GRILL | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 23 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 180.0000 🔥 | 153.0856 | 168.80 | top 49% |
| Pork Ribs | 24 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 179.4400 | 153.1544 | 166.37 | top 56% |
| Pork | 23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 150.2400 | 164.59 | top 65% |
| Brisket | 23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 178.8572 | 144.4912 | 162.14 | top 67% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT | 5 | 0 | top 72% |
| SD | 4 | 0 | top 87% |
| NV | 3 | 0 | top 65% |
| ID | 2 | 0 | top 65% |
| AZ | 2 | 0 | top 65% |
| WY | 1 | 0 | top 63% |
| MT | 1 | 0 | top 19% |
| DE | 1 | 0 | top 73% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 4 | 0 | top 69% |
| Medium (20–39) | 12 | 0 | top 64% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 66% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ Fest | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 84% | 2023-08-25 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
11.2 yrs
2015-05-23 → 2026-07-24
Busiest season
2026
7 contests
Contests a season
2.7
across 9 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
UT
5 of 24 contests · 8 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
22
1 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
24 entries · 1 win · 4 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 168.80 · weakest Brisket (162.14)
Walk rate
46%
a top-10 call in 11 of 24 contests
Overall top-10 rate
13%
3 of 24 contests
Master average
661.88
out of 720 · 23 contests · 0 GCs
Perfect 180s
1
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
470
293–552 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
24,797
24 mapped stops · furthest 9,039 mi
Schedule strength
1573
average field rating faced — tougher than 57% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$214,250
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 18 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
3.5 yrs
2018-02-10 → 2021-08-27
Power rating
1482
peak 1501 · #4047 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2015
- First tracked contest Tony Stone Low & Slow BBQ Competition
- 2018
- First call Melbourne Barbecue Festival
- First overall top-10 Melbourne Barbecue Festival
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score659.4056 Melbourne Barbecue Festival
- Peak power rating (1501) Melbourne Barbecue Festival
- 2023
- 10th tracked contest GMG NorUt State BBQ Championship
- 2025
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Pitmaster's NorUt KCBS BBQ Championship
- 2026
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) The Downtown Grand Master BBQ Showdown
- Career-best overall score699.9544 Dillon Days Blowin' Smoke BBQ Cook Off
- Most recent contest Albany County Fair Smokin' BBQ Cook-Off
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.5 | Dillon Days Blowin' Smoke BBQ Cook Off | 2026-07-03 |
| +10.7 | Blue Compass RV BBQ Bash | 2026-05-01 |
| +10.4 | Melbourne Barbecue Festival | 2018-02-03 |
| +6.3 | The Downtown Grand Master BBQ Showdown | 2026-04-17 |
| +6.1 | Blaze of 47 | 2025-07-18 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.5 | GMG NorUt State BBQ Championship | 2023-06-09 |
| -9.5 | Hill City Wine Brew and BBQ Fest | 2021-08-27 |
| -7.4 | Original SD BBQ Championship | 2022-06-03 |
| -7.3 | Pitmaster's NorUt State BBQ Championship | 2024-06-21 |
| -6.8 | Pitmaster's NorUt KCBS BBQ Championship | 2025-06-20 |
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 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 86% | top 52% | 97.2% | 94.8% |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 40% | top 70% | 95.9% | 93.4% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 90% | 91.2% | 91.2% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 91% | 93% | 90.5% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 81% | 92.5% | 90.9% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 97% | 84.9% | 84.9% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 40% | 91.6% | 90.7% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 87.5% | 87.5% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 57% | 88.9% | 88% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-24 | Albany County Fair Smokin' BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Laramie, WY | 20 / 32 (670.1484) | 25 (167.3828) | 20 (166.2284) | 10 (170.8572) | 19 (165.6800) |
| 2026-07-03 | Dillon Days Blowin' Smoke BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Dillon, MT | 5 / 26 (699.9544) | 3 (176.5716) | 19 (170.8228) | 4 (177.7028) | 9 (174.8572) |
| 2026-06-26 | Smoke-N-Wings 🏅 Blackfoot, ID | 19 / 31 (691.3372) | 5 (177.7028) | 19 (173.1316) | 16 (174.2628) | 24 (166.2400) |
| 2026-05-23 | Best Dam BBQ 🏅 Boulder City, NV | 25 / 33 (663.8972) | 26 (167.4172) | 3 (177.7028) | 24 (165.6800) | 28 (153.0972) |
| 2026-05-01 | Blue Compass RV BBQ Bash 🏅 Marriott-Slaterville, UT | 7 / 19 (693.1088) | 7 (174.2972) | 5 (175.4172) | 17 (164.5372) | 2 (178.8572) |
| 2026-04-17 | The Downtown Grand Master BBQ Showdown 🏅 Las Vegas, NV | 16 / 29 (682.2744) | 1 (180.0000) | 23 (167.4172) | 17 (169.7028) | 20 (165.1544) |
| 2026-01-16 | 11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 🏅 Bullhead City, AZ | 30 / 53 (676.4800) | 29 (170.2628) | 37 (166.8344) | 33 (167.4172) | 15 (171.9656) |
| 2025-11-21 | BBQ Jackpot 🏅 Las Vegas, NV | 59 / 90 (675.3028) | 31 (173.1428) | 32 (171.9772) | 72 (165.0972) | 70 (165.0856) |
| 2025-07-18 | Blaze of 47 🏅 Salt Lake City, UT | 14 / 26 (690.8344) | 2 (179.4400) | 13 (172.5600) | 10 (174.8688) | 23 (163.9656) |
| 2025-06-27 | Smoke-N-Wings 🏅 Blackfoot, ID | 22 / 32 (666.7544) | 18 (167.3828) | 16 (170.8228) | 25 (166.8344) | 27 (161.7144) |
| 2025-06-20 | Pitmaster's NorUt KCBS BBQ Championship 🏅 Ogden, UT | 14 / 16 (675.4060) | 2 (179.4400) | 1 (179.4400) | 16 (159.9772) | 16 (156.5488) |
| 2025-01-17 | 10th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 🏅 Bullhead City, AZ | 35 / 48 (653.5428) | 18 (171.9656) | 15 (170.8344) | 41 (158.8000) | 42 (151.9428) |
| 2024-06-21 | Pitmaster's NorUt State BBQ Championship 🏅 Ogden, UT | 26 / 29 (656.4344) | 28 (160.5372) | 12 (171.4056) | 27 (158.8116) | 18 (165.6800) |
| 2023-08-25 | Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ Fest 🏅 Hill City, SD | 23 / 26 (633.5772) | 24 (157.6800) | 21 (157.0972) | 21 (162.2400) | 22 (156.5600) |
| 2023-06-09 | GMG NorUt State BBQ Championship 🏅 Ogden, UT | 15 / 16 (669.6112) | 10 (175.4056) | 14 (165.7028) | 16 (159.9428) | 9 (168.5600) |
| 2022-08-26 | Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ Fest 🏅 Hill City, SD | 22 / 28 (666.2400) | 21 (166.8572) | 27 (157.0972) | 12 (172.5600) | 15 (169.7256) |
| 2022-06-03 | Original SD BBQ Championship 🏅 Huron, SD | 38 / 46 (642.2856) | 41 (159.4400) | 33 (161.1428) | 37 (160.5256) | 35 (161.1772) |
| 2022-06-02 | Original SD BBQ Championship (One Meat Ribs) Huron, SD | — | — | 16 (166.8456) | — | — |
| 2021-08-27 | Hill City Wine Brew and BBQ Fest 🏅 Hill City, SD | 30 / 31 (611.2684) | 31 (153.0856) | 30 (153.1544) | 31 (150.7884) | 29 (154.2400) |
| 2018-02-10 | Sydney Barbeque Festival Sydney, 8008 | 11 / 19 (647.3712) | 11 (163.9656) | 10 (162.8684) | 17 (150.2400) | 4 (170.2972) |
| 2018-02-03 | Melbourne Barbecue Festival Melbourn, 8008 | 6 / 26 (659.4056) | 8 (164.5256) | 11 (158.8916) | 4 (169.7028) | 5 (166.2856) |
| 2016-09-24 | 3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016 Waltrop NRW, DE | 49 / 67 (630.2172) | 24 (165.1316) | 45 (155.4172) | 40 (157.6684) | 55 (152.0000) |
| 2015-09-25 | 2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015 Herten, NRW, | 32 / 67 (639.9768) | 12 (168.6172) | 25 (161.7256) | 17 (165.1428) | 60 (144.4912) |
| 2015-05-23 | Tony Stone Low & Slow BBQ Competition Hoofddorp Netherlands, | 45 / 68 (627.8744) | 35 (162.2400) | 41 (158.2972) | 30 (162.2400) | 63 (145.0972) |
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 | #215 (770 pts) | #137 (1070 pts) | #225 (835 pts) | #204 (795 pts) | #196 (835 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #531 (334 pts) | #341 (679 pts) | #416 (589 pts) | #554 (329 pts) | #617 (264 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1523 (54 pts) | #1562 (54 pts) | #1086 (119 pts) | #1528 (54 pts) | #1094 (89 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1248 (61 pts) | #1610 (56 pts) | #1386 (71 pts) | #1244 (71 pts) | #1271 (66 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #1309 (60 pts) | #1341 (60 pts) | #992 (159 pts) | #1348 (60 pts) | #1333 (60 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1527 (56 pts) | #1532 (56 pts) | #1577 (56 pts) | #1531 (56 pts) | #1520 (56 pts) |