Riding a hot streak
5
straight overall top-10s
Currently on a 5-contest overall top-10 run.
- career best 6
Bramble BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1715
peak 1715 · rated over 34 contests ⓘ
Best runs
6
straight top-10s
Contests
37
in the data
First seen
2023-05-19
latest 2026-08-28
Best ToY finish
#11
Backyard 2025
Grand champs
3
4 reserve
Category wins
6
17 podiums
Overall top-10s
26
of 37 contests
Avg finish
top 26%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
347.98 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 356.68 (-8.70)
Walk rate
81%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
6
best run (overall)
Consistency
±62.89
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 172.08 · weakest Brisket (165.94)
Road miles
5,475
mi across 37 mapped stops · furthest 276 mi
Schedule strength
73%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1592)
Purse competed for
$232K
listed at 34 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 20 state-championship entries
Master avg
678.96 / 720
6 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
356.68 / 360
28 Backyard contests · 3 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is 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.
Storylines (22 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.
The heartbreaker
0.5484
points from the title
Came within 0.5484 points of the Grand Championship at Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2) (2026-08-28).
Among the elite
#329
of 6,413 rated teams
In the top 5% of every rated team in the data
A power rating of 1715 puts them #329 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 5% of the field.
- rating 1715
- peak 1715
- 34 rated contests
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
Against the odds
23-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 77 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at Art of the Que (Backyard 2) (2025-06-27) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 23-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ.
On the rise
+31
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 31 points across 14 contests since 2025-09-13 — from 1685 up to 1715.
- 14 contests since 2025-09-13
- now 1715
Giant slayer
58
teams beaten in one weekend
Took the Grand Championship over a 58-team field at Minnesota in May.
- 2025-05-09
Happy hunting ground
1×
Grand Championships here
Art of the Que (Backyard 2) is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.
- 2 visits
- best finish 1st
- average top 16%
They almost always walk
81%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 30 of 37 contests
A top-10 category call in 81% of their 37 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
693.0972
career-best overall
96.3% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 693.0972 at La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown — 96.3% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2025-10-03
State champions
1
state championships won
They've taken 1 state championship from 20 entries at contests carrying the title.
- 20 state-championship entries
The one to beat
3×
one call ahead of them
Son of a Boar BBQ has finished one call ahead of Bramble BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2025
3 Grand Championships
2025 was the year it came together: 17 contests, 3 Grand Championships and 4 category wins, at an average finish in the top 21%.
- 17 contests
- 12 overall top-10s
- 4 category wins
- average top 21%
A tough matchup
4–0
behind in the head-to-head
Kick Ash BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
Kick Ash BBQ has come out ahead in 4 of their 4 shared contests.
The weak link
−6.1
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.14 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 71%.
- Brisket avg 165.94
- Chicken avg 172.08
- 0 calls in 7 entries
A strong matchup
13–3
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 81% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of All Smoked Up BBQ in 13 of their 16 shared contests.
Chicken nemesis
11 of 14
shared chicken entries lost
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ ahead 79% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ has out-cooked them in 11 of 14 shared chicken entries.
Always the bridesmaid
4
reserve championships
Runner-up for the whole thing 4 times against 3 Grand Championships — close enough to touch it, over and over.
- 3 Grand Championships
- 37 contests
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
DAWGS BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Boom or bust
±15.97%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±15.97% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
- averages 98.2% of a perfect score
- best 189.3%
A June team
Top 17%
average finish in June
Something about June: average finish in the top 17% across 6 contests, versus top 26% the rest of the year.
- 6 June contests
- top 26% the rest of the year
The long haul
5,475
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,475 miles across 37 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 276 miles to Trekking for CDH.
- 37 mapped stops
- furthest 276 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.
#331 of the rated field
- Contests
- 43
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 60%
- Peak
- 1719
6–6 in 12 shared contests (50% to Bramble BBQ)
These two have cooked 12 of the same contests — honours even — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#332 of the rated field
- Contests
- 54
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1718
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 50 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#330 of the rated field
- Contests
- 64
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1739
No shared contest yet.
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 64 contests to 37.
⚔ Head-to-head#328 of the rated field
- Contests
- 157
- GCs
- 6
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1803
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 6 Grand Championships in 157 contests, alongside a 43% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#335 of the rated field
- Contests
- 91
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1714
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Bramble BBQ)
They were already cooking in 2017, 6 years before Bramble BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-head#326 of the rated field
- Contests
- 51
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 57%
- Peak
- 1717
No shared contest yet.
Level with Bramble 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBQ Pit Bros | 18 | 12 | 6 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 18 | 8 | 10 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| DAWGS BBQ | 17 | 12 | 5 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| All Smoked Up BBQ | 16 | 13 | 3 | 81% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 16 | 5 | 11 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Skinny Pig BBQ | 15 | 13 | 2 | 87% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 15 | 10 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Bear BBQ | 14 | 10 | 4 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 14 | 10 | 4 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 14 | 10 | 4 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 14 | 6 | 8 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Chester's Twisted Que | 13 | 9 | 4 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| Bucknutz BBQ | 12 | 12 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Ten Bones | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| FENDER BENDER BBQ | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 34 | 24 | 2 | 6 | 180.0000 🔥 | 159.9544 | 172.08 | top 33% |
| Pork Ribs | 37 | 25 | 4 | 10 | 178.8572 | 163.3944 | 171.84 | top 30% |
| Pork | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 178.8800 | 165.0856 | 170.71 | top 48% |
| Brisket | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 173.1316 | 162.2400 | 165.94 | top 72% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IA | 17 | 2 | top 28% |
| IL | 6 | 0 | top 15% |
| MN | 5 | 1 | top 28% |
| MO | 4 | 0 | top 33% |
| WI | 2 | 0 | top 24% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 10 | 2 | top 25% |
| Medium (20–39) | 17 | 0 | top 26% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 1 | top 27% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) | 5 | 1 | 1 | top 30% | 2026-07-18 |
| Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 26% | 2026-08-15 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 3 | 3 | 0 | top 15% | 2026-04-03 |
| Minnesota in May | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 31% | 2026-05-08 |
| Art of the Que (Backyard 2) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 16% | 2025-06-27 |
| Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 17% | 2026-08-28 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 10% | 2026-06-19 |
| Tri-City BBQ Fest | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 15% | 2025-09-19 |
| King of the Corn | 2 | 24 | 0 | top 67% | 2024-05-17 |
The story so far (21 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
3.3 yrs
2023-05-19 → 2026-08-28
Busiest season
2025
17 contests · 3 GCs
Contests a season
9.3
across 4 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
IA
17 of 37 contests · 5 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
20
9 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
37 entries · 4 wins · 25 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 172.08 · weakest Brisket (165.94)
Walk rate
81%
a top-10 call in 30 of 37 contests
Overall top-10 rate
70%
26 of 37 contests
Wins it all
8%
3 Grand Championships · 4 reserve
First title
2025-05-09
Minnesota in May
Best top-10 run
6
straight contests
Master average
678.96
out of 720 · 6 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
356.68
out of 360 · 28 contests · 3 GCs
Perfect 180s
1
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
489
1,030–337 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
5,475
37 mapped stops · furthest 276 mi
Schedule strength
1592
average field rating faced — tougher than 73% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$232,425
listed at 34 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1
from 20 state-championship entries
Power rating
1715
peak 1715 · #329 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2023
- First tracked contest King of the Corn
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score668.5032 King of the Corn
- First call Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off
- First overall top-10 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off
- First overall podium Anchor City Cook-Off
- First Reserve Championship Anchor City Cook-Off
- 2024
- First category win (Chicken) Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 2025
- 10th tracked contest Iowa State BBQ Championship
- First Grand Championship Minnesota in May
- First state championship Minnesota in May
- Biggest field won (58 teams) Minnesota in May
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) King of the Corn
- 25th tracked contest Tri-City BBQ Fest
- Career-best overall score693.0972 La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown
- 2026
- Peak power rating (1715) Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2)
- Most recent contest Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.4 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off | 2023-07-07 |
| +15 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2025-04-04 |
| +14.8 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) | 2025-06-27 |
| +14.6 | Minnesota in May | 2025-05-09 |
| +14.5 | Anchor City Cook-Off | 2023-09-08 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.9 | Minnesota in May | 2026-05-08 |
| -7.9 | Knox Co. 4-H/FFA Ring of Smoke | 2026-04-17 |
| -7.5 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) | 2025-07-11 |
| -3.4 | King of the Corn | 2024-05-17 |
| -3.1 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) | 2026-07-17 |
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 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 82% | top 30% | 189.3% | 104.3% |
| 2025 | 17 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 88% | top 21% | 98.3% | 95.8% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 75% | top 29% | 97.1% | 94.6% |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 60% | top 30% | 96.3% | 94.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-28 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2) Cherry Valley, IL | 2 / 25 (353.7260) | 2 (177.7144) | 6 (176.0116) | — | — |
| 2026-08-28 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1) Cherry Valley, IL | 6 / 24 (345.6916) | 11 (170.8344) | 6 (174.8572) | — | — |
| 2026-08-15 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 4 / 18 (350.2860) | 8 (171.4288) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| 2026-07-31 | Cruisin' and BBQin' 🏅 Hampton, IA | 4 / 26 (341.6572) | 8 (168.5372) | 3 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2026-07-18 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 5 / 28 (348.5372) | 6 (175.4056) | 10 (173.1316) | — | — |
| 2026-07-17 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 13 / 27 (337.6916) | 20 (166.2744) | 11 (171.4172) | — | — |
| 2026-06-19 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 5 / 41 (350.2628) | 10 (174.2628) | 6 (176.0000) | — | — |
| 2026-05-08 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 47 / 77 (677.0172) | 65 (166.8344) | 22 (171.9656) | 65 (165.0856) | 18 (173.1316) |
| 2026-05-01 | SmokeHouse Barbeque Showdown (OPEN FORMAT) (REGISTRATION FULL) 🏅 Cambridge, IA | 6 / 17 (681.6572) | 13 (171.9772) | 8 (171.9772) | 12 (173.1428) | 22 (164.5600) |
| 2026-04-17 | Knox Co. 4-H/FFA Ring of Smoke 🏅 Edina, MO | 17 / 25 (676.4684) | 12 (172.5600) | 8 (170.2628) | 16 (166.8228) | 14 (166.8228) |
| 2026-04-03 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 7 / 42 (345.1088) | 2 (177.7144) | 21 (167.3944) | — | — |
| 2025-10-03 | La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown 🏅 La Belle, MO | 13 / 39 (693.0972) | 6 (176.5600) | 14 (175.4172) | 2 (178.8800) | 32 (162.2400) |
| 2025-09-19 | Tri-City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 5 / 26 (327.3716) | 5 (159.9544) | 5 (167.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-09-13 | Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL | 8 / 27 (335.9316) | 9 (167.3944) | 6 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2025-08-22 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 2 / 31 (350.2628) | 13 (173.7028) | 2 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2025-08-16 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 5 / 17 (342.2516) | 1 (178.8572) | 12 (163.3944) | — | — |
| 2025-07-12 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 1 / 16 (353.1316) | 4 (177.7144) | 1 (175.4172) | — | — |
| 2025-07-11 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 11 / 18 (339.3484) | 8 (170.8228) | 10 (168.5256) | 6 (172.0000) | — |
| 2025-06-27 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) Spencer, IA | 1 / 17 (350.8456) | 2 (176.0000) | 1 (174.8456) | — | — |
| 2025-06-27 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) 🏅 Spencer, IA | 4 / 15 (343.3944) | 6 (171.9656) | 3 (171.4288) | — | — |
| 2025-06-20 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 3 / 36 (353.7028) | 4 (177.7028) | 4 (176.0000) | — | — |
| 2025-06-14 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 12 / 36 (337.6572) | 7 (171.9772) | 22 (165.6800) | — | — |
| 2025-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 5 / 36 (347.4288) | 15 (171.9772) | 2 (175.4516) | — | — |
| 2025-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 14 (169.7028) | — | — |
| 2025-05-16 | King of the Corn 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 9 / 33 (687.3716) | 2 (180.0000) | 16 (170.8228) | 12 (170.8344) | 25 (165.7144) |
| 2025-05-09 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 1 / 58 (350.8572) | 5 (176.0116) | 1 (174.8456) | — | — |
| 2025-05-09 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 24 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2025-04-04 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 3 / 49 (351.4172) | 6 (174.8572) | 4 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2024-09-20 | Tri City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 3 / 30 (335.3712) | 6 (164.5256) | 3 (170.8456) | — | — |
| 2024-07-12 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) Miles, IA | 2 / 11 (349.6800) | 1 (177.7028) | 6 (171.9772) | 7 (165.0972) | — |
| 2024-05-17 | King of the Corn 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 24 / 36 (671.3028) | 33 (166.8228) | 19 (168.5256) | 18 (169.6800) | 22 (166.2744) |
| 2024-03-29 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 9 / 42 (342.2284) | 15 (170.8228) | 8 (171.4056) | — | — |
| 2023-09-08 | Anchor City Cook-Off 🏅 Centralia, MO | 2 / 13 (334.8000) | 4 (162.8228) | 2 (171.9772) | — | — |
| 2023-08-19 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 4 / 16 (339.9772) | 9 (169.1200) | 6 (170.8572) | — | — |
| 2023-07-07 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Cameron, MO | 4 / 30 (346.8344) | 6 (172.5600) | 4 (174.2744) | — | — |
| 2023-07-07 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cameron, MO | — | — | 14 (170.8228) | — | — |
| 2023-05-19 | King of the Corn 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 30 / 45 (668.5032) | 31 (167.4172) | 39 (163.3944) | 11 (174.8572) | 35 (162.8344) |
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 ↗ | Backyard | #21 (1058 pts) | #22 (1056 pts) | #21 (1039 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #674 (150 pts) | #705 (175 pts) | #666 (220 pts) | #697 (155 pts) | #628 (200 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #11 (1309 pts) | #36 (1095 pts) | #3 (1334 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #601 (263 pts) | #507 (433 pts) | #537 (398 pts) | #503 (383 pts) | #967 (118 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #105 (590 pts) | #123 (520 pts) | #119 (515 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1157 (65 pts) | #1242 (60 pts) | #1190 (90 pts) | #1089 (95 pts) | #1144 (75 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #128 (463 pts) | #95 (688 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1255 (60 pts) | #1319 (60 pts) | #950 (170 pts) | #950 (130 pts) | #1296 (60 pts) |