Perfect scores on the board
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
- Pork Ribs ×1
- Pork ×1
Charcoal Cowboys
Charcoal Cowboys is a competition barbecue team with 32 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 5th of 29 at the Smokin' At The Market (2014). They are ranked #2107 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1534
peak 1541 · rated over 29 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
32
in the data
First seen
May 17, 2013
latest Mar 20, 2026 · 12.8 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
3
7 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
16% of 32 contests
Avg finish
top 53%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
668.22 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 669.03 (-0.81)
Walk rate
66%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±13.51
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 168.73 · weakest Brisket (164.46)
Road miles
3,537
across 32 mapped stops · furthest 379 mi
Schedule strength
54%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1569)
Purse competed for
$55K
listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 4 state-championship entries
Master avg
669.03 / 720
28 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
344 / 360
1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #297 (120 pts) | #319 (110 pts) | #300 (135 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1148 (60 pts) | #1221 (60 pts) | #1293 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) | #882 (135 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1954 (60 pts) | #2012 (60 pts) | #1996 (60 pts) | #2030 (60 pts) | #1990 (60 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #818 (456 pts) | #905 (431 pts) | #620 (656 pts) | #966 (386 pts) | #1014 (346 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1635 (149 pts) | #2084 (109 pts) | #2228 (84 pts) | #1205 (279 pts) | #1985 (119 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1218 (232 pts) | #1566 (167 pts) | #1346 (217 pts) | #828 (437 pts) | #973 (347 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #670 (549 pts) | #579 (674 pts) | #674 (559 pts) | #538 (719 pts) | #706 (524 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #651 (478 pts) | #671 (488 pts) | #527 (628 pts) | #458 (718 pts) | #656 (493 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Charcoal Cowboys, each with one reason worth a look.
71 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,102 of the rated field
- Contests
- 35
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1575
They've been 1575 at their best, 41 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#2,108 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1558
Careers of much the same size, 41 contests to 32, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,113 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 39%
- Peak
- 1538
18 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 39% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,110 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1553
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Charcoal Cowboys's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,111 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1534
Level with Charcoal Cowboys on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#2,103 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1548
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big B BBQ Company | 18 | 8 | 10 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG G BBQ | 17 | 12 | 5 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 17 | 3 | 14 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| Organizer Portal | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE'M IF U GOT'M | 15 | 10 | 5 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| SWIGGIN PIG | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG ORANGE SMOKERS | 14 | 8 | 6 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH ON THE HAWG | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| THE OPRY BACKSTAGE GRILLERS | 12 | 10 | 2 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| THE ALGOOD BAR-B-Q PIT CREW | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE ON THIS | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RT QUE KUSINE | 10 | 8 | 2 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| HOBBIE BAR-B-Q | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| Chokin "N" tha Smoke | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 32 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 177.7028 | 149.6340 | 168.67 | top 52% |
| Pork Ribs | 32 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 155.3828 | 168.41 | top 47% |
| Pork | 30 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 156.4912 | 168.73 | top 49% |
| Brisket | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 147.9656 | 164.46 | top 59% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 0 | top 54% |
| Large (40+) | 13 | 0 | top 53% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 3 | 37 | 0 | top 58% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Smokin in McMinnville | 3 | 19 | 0 | top 71% | Aug 11, 2017 |
| Smoke on the Shores | 2 | 21 | 0 | top 55% | Mar 9, 2018 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 52% | Jun 17, 2016 |
| Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff | 2 | 20 | 0 | top 70% | May 22, 2015 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2017
6 contests
Contests a season
3.2
across 10 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
25 of 32 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
24
5 of them more than once
Opponents faced
745
finished ahead 658 times, behind 865
Longest layoff
4 yrs
Mar 9, 2018 → Mar 18, 2022
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
20181 milestone
- 25th tracked contest Smoke on the Shores
20171 milestone
- Peak power rating (1541) Great American BBQ Festival
20162 milestones
- First category win (Pork) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First perfect 180 (Pork) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
20143 milestones
- First overall top-10 Smokin' At The Market
- 10th tracked contest Smokin' At The Market
- Career-best overall score698.8112 Smokin' At The Market
20133 milestones
- First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.9998 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.2 | Smoke on the Shores | Mar 10, 2017 |
| +12.9 | Smokin' At The Market | Oct 3, 2014 |
| +11.7 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Jun 17, 2016 |
| +11.2 | Great American BBQ Festival | Aug 25, 2017 |
| +8.2 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) | Mar 21, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.4 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 17, 2023 |
| -9.2 | Smokin' in McMinnville | Aug 8, 2014 |
| -7.9 | Queen City Cook-Off | Jun 21, 2013 |
| -6.7 | Bucks, Ducks & BBQ | Jul 18, 2014 |
| -5 | Smokin' in McMinnville | Aug 9, 2013 |
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 54% | 94.9% | 94.9% |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75% | top 34% | 95.6% | 95% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 83% | 90.9% | 90.9% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 73% | 90.9% | 90.9% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 67% | 91.7% | 91.7% |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 67% | top 37% | 95.6% | 94.5% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 35% | 96% | 94.8% |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 66% | 94.3% | 92.9% |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 65% | 97.1% | 92.1% |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80% | top 54% | 92.9% | 91.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 67 / 125 (683.3140) | 94 (167.3828) | 56 (170.8228) | 47 (173.7028) | 54 (171.4056) |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 15 / 36 (504.4796) | 11 (173.1084) | 24 (164.5256) | 25 (166.8456) | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 9 / 31 (514.7656) | 7 (173.1200) | 6 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 13 / 43 (344) | 15 (171.4400) | 10 (172.5600) | — | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 37 / 100 (688.4796) | 72 (169.6684) | 31 (172.5828) | 65 (168.5256) | 10 (177.7028) |
| Mar 17, 2023 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 66 / 80 (654.1828) | 46 (170.2628) | 47 (165.7028) | 68 (162.2400) | 75 (155.9772) |
| Mar 18, 2022 | Smoke on The Shores 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 46 / 63 (654.7316) | 10 (175.4172) | 60 (155.3828) | 51 (162.2400) | 47 (161.6916) |
| Mar 9, 2018 | Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN | 58 / 87 (660.4000) | 55 (165.6916) | 48 (164.5372) | 32 (170.8228) | 68 (159.3484) |
| Sep 22, 2017 | First Tennessee Bank Bluegrass & BBQ (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) (JUDGES FULL) Columbia, TN | — | 5 (174.2744) | 9 (173.7144) | 3 (176.5828) | — |
| Aug 25, 2017 | Great American BBQ Festival Franklin, TN | 8 / 40 (688.5256) | 19 (169.1428) | 1 (180) | 26 (167.9656) | 9 (171.4172) |
| Aug 11, 2017 | Smokin in McMinnville McMinnville, TN | 19 / 35 (677.0288) | 16 (170.8344) | 13 (173.1316) | 30 (162.2400) | 15 (170.8228) |
| Jun 16, 2017 | Smoke in the House (JUDGES FULL) White House, TN | 7 / 22 (683.3140) | 8 (171.4056) | 7 (171.9772) | 5 (172.5600) | 11 (167.3712) |
| May 12, 2017 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Bowling Green, KY | 17 / 29 (674.8000) | 11 (173.1544) | 16 (169.1200) | 17 (168.5600) | 24 (163.9656) |
| Mar 10, 2017 | Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN | 13 / 62 (678.8232) | 26 (170.2744) | 1 (177.7144) | 44 (163.9772) | 31 (166.8572) |
| Jun 17, 2016 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Hendersonville, TN | 8 / 29 (691.3944) | 14 (173.1200) | 19 (166.2972) | 1 (180) | 12 (171.9772) |
| Mar 11, 2016 | Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN | 21 / 49 (674.1712) | 28 (168.5600) | 15 (169.7144) | 23 (168.5140) | 27 (167.3828) |
| Sep 19, 2015 | Hot Springs Blues & BBQ Hot Springs, AR | 18 / 29 (661.0396) | 3 (177.7028) | 11 (169.1428) | 25 (156.4912) | 26 (157.7028) |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN | 18 / 37 (678.7656) | 16 (171.4172) | 2 (178.8572) | 31 (165.6684) | 25 (162.8228) |
| May 29, 2015 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Hendersonville, TN | 22 / 29 (670.6968) | 27 (162.8228) | 23 (165.0856) | 3 (174.2628) | 14 (168.5256) |
| May 22, 2015 | Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN | 20 / 28 (667.2452) | 25 (164.5256) | 21 (164.5256) | 19 (167.3828) | 9 (170.8112) |
| Mar 6, 2015 | "Come to Compete, Come to Learn" NBBQA Championship Nashville, TN | 18 / 25 (666.1024) | 23 (163.9428) | 19 (165.6800) | 10 (170.8112) | 15 (165.6684) |
| Nov 21, 2014 | The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) Cumming, GA | 63 / 86 (659.2572) | 51 (168.5256) | 54 (165.1088) | 20 (171.9656) | 81 (153.6572) |
| Oct 3, 2014 | Smokin' At The Market Gallatin, TN | 5 / 29 (698.8112) | 5 (176.5600) | 8 (175.4400) | 6 (177.7028) | 20 (169.1084) |
| Aug 8, 2014 | Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN | 35 / 40 (644.9944) | 38 (157.0972) | 34 (158.8228) | 4 (173.7028) | 31 (155.3716) |
| Jul 18, 2014 | Bucks, Ducks & BBQ Conway, AR | 21 / 26 (657.5656) | 26 (149.6340) | 11 (171.9772) | 15 (168.5600) | 14 (167.3944) |
| Jun 20, 2014 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Lexington, KY | 17 / 28 (651.8968) | 18 (165.6684) | 19 (161.7028) | 22 (160.5484) | 13 (163.9772) |
| May 24, 2014 | Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN | 28 / 41 (666.7428) | 4 (176) | 38 (155.9428) | 25 (167.4056) | 21 (167.3944) |
| Sep 27, 2013 | Piggin' Around Woodbury, TN | 13 / 24 (668.9828) | 22 (158.2056) | 15 (166.8344) | 4 (176.5600) | 15 (167.3828) |
| Aug 23, 2013 | Music City Festival & BBQ Championship Nashville, TN | 16 / 55 (662.7656) | 11 (171.4172) | 18 (166.8228) | 4 (176.5600) | 47 (147.9656) |
| Aug 9, 2013 | Smokin' in McMinnville McMinnville, TN | 26 / 37 (660.3768) | 24 (165.0856) | 13 (167.9656) | 36 (157.6456) | 12 (169.6800) |
| Jun 21, 2013 | Queen City Cook-Off Clarksville, TN | 30 / 39 (656.5714) | 20 (167.4284) | 6 (170.2858) | 16 (168) | 35 (150.8572) |
| May 17, 2013 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Marietta, GA | 11 / 28 (651.9998) | 11 (164.5712) | 12 (162.8572) | 11 (164) | 10 (160.5714) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.