Cowboy Q

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#729

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1636

peak 1651 · rated over 38 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-03

latest 2025-06-06

Best ToY finish

#188

Master 2021

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

13 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 40 contests

Avg finish

top 41%

overall standings

Best overall

708.5372 / 720

Master · Go Hog Wild BBQ

Perfect 180s

3 🔥

Current form

688.24 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 676.47 (+11.76)

Walk rate

70%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · Go Hog Wild BBQ

Consistency

±20.55

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 170.50 · weakest Brisket (167.70)

Road miles

7,440

mi across 40 mapped stops · furthest 702 mi

Schedule strength

67%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1584)

Purse competed for

$473K

listed at 31 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

2 🏅

GCs in 32 state-championship entries

Master avg

676.47 / 720

39 Master contests · 2 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (16 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

1.1772 points from the title

Came within 1.1772 points of the Grand Championship at Go Hog Wild BBQ (2023-10-06).

Perfect scores on the board

3 perfect 180s

3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×3

Against the odds

13-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 87 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival (2019-09-27) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 13-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, RAZORRACKS.

Giant slayer

43 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 43-team field at Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival.

2019-09-27

They almost always walk

70% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 28 of 40 contests

A top-10 category call in 70% of their 40 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

708.5372 career-best overall

98.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 708.5372 at Go Hog Wild BBQ — 98.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2023-10-06

State champions

2 state championships won

They've taken 2 state championships from 32 entries at contests carrying the title.

32 state-championship entries

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Kermit's Ex has finished one call ahead of Cowboy Q 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 2 Grand Championships

2019 was the year it came together: 7 contests, 2 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 24%.

7 contests
5 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 24%

A tough matchup

24–7 behind in the head-to-head

RAZORRACKS ahead in 77% of their meetings

RAZORRACKS has come out ahead in 24 of their 31 shared contests.

The drought

27 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Smokin' on the Square on 2019-10-25 — 27 contests and 6.9 years ago.

last GC 2019-10-25
6.9 years ago

A strong matchup

9–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of PORK AVENUE in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

The comeback

3.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.7 years, then back at Delta Smoke BBQ Contest (2019-06-07).

last seen 2015-10-02
back 2019-06-07

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

3 RIVERS BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.

An April team

Top 32% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 32% across 3 contests, versus top 41% the rest of the year.

3 April contests
top 41% the rest of the year

The long haul

7,440 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 7,440 miles across 40 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 702 miles to 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam.

40 mapped stops
furthest 702 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.

Swine 'N' Roses BBQ

#731 of the rated field

1636 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 59%
Peak: 1716

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1716 at their best, 80 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 45 contests
last seen 2026-05-01

⚔ Head-to-head

RICHIE Z's

#730 of the rated field

1636 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 61
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1638

No shared contest yet.

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 61 contests to 40.

rated over 59 contests
last seen 2024-07-12

⚔ Head-to-head

SUNDANCER BBQ

#728 of the rated field

1637 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 59%
Peak: 1637

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 9 years before Cowboy Q's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 22 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

BILLY RAY BBQ

#733 of the rated field

1636 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 58
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1681

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Cowboy Q)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Cowboy Q has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 51 contests
last seen 2026-03-20

⚔ Head-to-head

COOL HAND QUE

#725 of the rated field

1637 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 81
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1672

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to Cowboy Q)

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 81 contests, alongside a 42% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 77 contests
last seen 2026-05-29

⚔ Head-to-head

Boxer Q BBQ

#721 of the rated field

1637 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 78
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1694

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Cowboy Q)

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 77 contests
last seen 2023-06-30

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
RAZORRACKS	31	7	24	23%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	26	14	12	54%	⚔ compare
Kermit's Ex	20	9	11	45%	⚔ compare
DAD'S GRILLIN CREW	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ	16	8	8	50%	⚔ compare
Piggin' Whiskey	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
BLIND HOG BBQ	15	8	7	53%	⚔ compare
PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	12	3	9	25%	⚔ compare
Q-BONES BBQ	12	3	9	25%	⚔ compare
Smokin Through The Night	11	8	3	73%	⚔ compare
Kith n' Kin	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
TRIPLE H BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
Heavy Smoke BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	39	19	1	4	179.4400	145.6340	170.50	top 39%
Pork Ribs	39	14	1	3	177.7028	143.8400	168.56	top 44%
Pork	39	14	0	5	180.0000 🔥	148.6056	169.71	top 42%
Brisket	39	11	0	1	177.7028	141.7028	167.70	top 47%

“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
AR	22	2	top 38%
TN	5	0	top 56%
MS	4	0	top 23%
MO	4	0	top 52%
OK	3	0	top 51%
KS	1	0	top 43%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	0	top 43%
Medium (20–39)	21	1	top 42%
Large (40+)	16	1	top 40%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival	3	1	1	top 36%	2024-09-27
Delta Smoke BBQ Contest	3	2	0	top 24%	2022-06-10
Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship	3	8	0	top 45%	2019-10-04
Beats, Brews, & BBQ	2	10	0	top 59%	2022-04-01

The story so far (21 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 12.1 yrs 2013-05-03 → 2025-06-06

Busiest season 2021 9 contests

Contests a season 3.6 across 11 seasons in the data

Cooks most in AR 22 of 40 contests · 7 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 32 4 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 39 entries · 1 win · 19 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 170.50 · weakest Brisket (167.70)

Walk rate 70% a top-10 call in 28 of 40 contests

Overall top-10 rate 40% 16 of 40 contests

Wins it all 5% 2 Grand Championships · 2 reserve

First title 2019-09-27 Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival

Best top-10 run 4 straight contests

Master average 676.47 out of 720 · 39 contests · 2 GCs

Perfect 180s 3 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 916 906–678 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 7,440 40 mapped stops · furthest 702 mi

Schedule strength 1584 average field rating faced — tougher than 67% of rated contests

Purse competed for $473,400 listed at 31 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 2 from 32 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 3.7 yrs 2015-10-02 → 2019-06-07

Power rating 1636 peak 1651 · #729 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2013
May 3 First tracked contest Smokelawn
2014
Mar 14 First call Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre
Mar 14 First overall past 90% of a perfect score674.8228 Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre
Apr 4 First category win (Pork Ribs) Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cookoff
Apr 4 First overall top-10 Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cookoff
2019
Jun 7 First overall podium Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Jun 7 First Reserve Championship Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Jun 7 First perfect 180 (Pork) Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
Sep 6 10th tracked contest Smokin' on the White
Sep 27 First Grand Championship Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival
Sep 27 First state championship Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival
Sep 27 Biggest field won (43 teams) Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival
2022
Mar 18 25th tracked contest Smoke on The Shores
2023
Oct 6 Career-best overall score708.5372 Go Hog Wild BBQ
2024
Sep 20 Peak power rating (1651) Smoke on the Water
2026
Jan 9 Most recent contest 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.1	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest	2019-06-07
+16.3	Smokin' on the Square	2019-10-25
+15.2	Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival	2019-09-27
+13.2	DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off	2021-06-18
+11.3	Go Hog Wild BBQ	2023-10-06

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-15.4	Mozingo Lake BBQ	2020-09-05
-9.4	Beats, Brews, & BBQ	2020-06-12
-8.3	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	2024-03-15
-6.1	Smokelawn	2013-05-03
-5.4	Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival	2024-09-27

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	1	0	0	0	0%	—	—	—
2025	2	0	0	0	100%	top 60%	95.7%	95.5%
2024	4	0	1	0	100%	top 43%	96.6%	95.3%
2023	3	0	2	0	67%	top 29%	98.4%	95.9%
2022	6	0	3	0	67%	top 32%	96.2%	95.2%
2021	9	0	3	0	56%	top 45%	96.7%	94.3%
2020	2	0	0	0	0%	top 90%	89.7%	86.9%
2019	7	2	5	1	86%	top 24%	97.2%	95%
2015	1	0	0	0	100%	top 68%	87.3%	87.3%
2014	4	0	2	1	100%	top 37%	93.7%	92.6%
2013	1	0	0	0	0%	top 71%	87.3%	87.3%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-01-09	10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam 🏅 St. Augustine, FL	—	—	—	—	—
2025-06-06	Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	19 / 30 (689.0400)	4 (178.8572)	18 (170.8228)	19 (173.1200)	24 (166.2400)
2025-03-14	University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest 🏅 Fayetteville, AR	16 / 28 (686.7428)	8 (175.4172)	23 (167.3828)	10 (174.2628)	14 (169.6800)
2024-09-27	Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR	18 / 27 (683.8740)	17 (169.6800)	7 (175.4172)	17 (171.9656)	19 (166.8112)
2024-09-20	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR	12 / 42 (686.1712)	7 (176.0000)	4 (175.4172)	7 (174.2628)	37 (160.4912)
2024-06-07	Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	7 / 33 (695.3484)	11 (174.2628)	8 (173.7144)	11 (171.9656)	6 (175.4056)
2024-03-15	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	51 / 93 (678.7312)	64 (169.6800)	88 (160.5256)	5 (177.7028)	34 (170.8228)
2023-10-27	Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR	19 / 49 (685.0512)	15 (174.2628)	13 (174.8572)	29 (167.3828)	22 (168.5484)
2023-10-06	Go Hog Wild BBQ 🏅 Sheridan, AR	2 / 26 (708.5372)	2 (178.8572)	6 (176.5600)	2 (180.0000)	8 (173.1200)
2023-09-29	Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR	10 / 25 (678.1600)	2 (178.8572)	11 (169.6800)	12 (166.8228)	15 (162.8000)
2022-10-21	Saracen Casino Smoke on the Water 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR	20 / 47 (680.4684)	27 (169.6684)	11 (172.5716)	23 (169.1084)	23 (169.1200)
2022-09-23	Downtown Jonesboro BarBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR	6 / 33 (692.5376)	8 (173.7144)	9 (171.4288)	11 (171.9772)	4 (175.4172)
2022-06-10	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	16 / 33 (678.7772)	17 (169.1200)	16 (171.9656)	26 (165.7144)	12 (171.9772)
2022-04-22	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	8 / 36 (689.6344)	10 (173.1200)	6 (175.4172)	26 (164.5372)	6 (176.5600)
2022-04-01	Beats, Brews, & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK	10 / 30 (686.1712)	10 (173.1200)	3 (177.7028)	19 (167.3828)	14 (167.9656)
2022-03-18	Smoke on The Shores 🏅 Lebanon, TN	16 / 63 (686.2284)	21 (172.0000)	25 (169.6684)	8 (174.8572)	21 (169.7028)
2021-10-08	32nd Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series)(JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN	63 / 70 (660.4224)	56 (164.5256)	61 (165.1084)	60 (163.9656)	52 (166.8228)
2021-10-01	Go Hog Wild BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Sheridan, AR	16 / 30 (674.2516)	4 (176.5600)	18 (167.4172)	20 (163.4056)	18 (166.8688)
2021-09-03	Smithfield Classic in Nashville 🏅 Nashville, TN	29 / 50 (681.0284)	27 (170.2628)	34 (169.1200)	18 (173.1200)	33 (168.5256)
2021-08-20	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	20 / 46 (670.1256)	22 (168.5256)	16 (167.9656)	25 (167.3944)	21 (166.2400)
2021-07-16	County Seat Cookoff Jay, OK	5 / 15 (685.6344)	7 (173.7144)	12 (165.6916)	2 (175.4056)	6 (170.8228)
2021-06-18	DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Nesbit, MS	4 / 48 (696.4912)	8 (176.0000)	26 (167.3828)	7 (175.4056)	4 (177.7028)
2021-06-11	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	8 / 38 (695.9544)	4 (176.5600)	4 (177.1544)	11 (175.4172)	20 (166.8228)
2021-06-04	Covington TN's World's Oldest BBQ Cooking Contest 🏅 Covington, TN	17 / 34 (673.6228)	8 (174.2972)	23 (163.9656)	24 (165.0972)	13 (170.2628)
2021-05-01	39th Annual Kennett Jaycees Show Me State BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Kennett, MO	14 / 32 (675.9084)	14 (168.0000)	17 (167.4056)	17 (169.6800)	12 (170.8228)
2020-09-05	Mozingo Lake BBQ 🏅 Maryville, MO	32 / 34 (606.2968)	18 (165.1200)	32 (150.8684)	32 (148.6056)	33 (141.7028)
2020-06-12	Beats, Brews, & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK	47 / 55 (645.6000)	54 (155.9656)	47 (155.9544)	23 (171.4400)	40 (162.2400)
2019-10-25	Smokin' on the Square 🏅 El Dorado, AR	1 / 20 (694.8228)	1 (179.4400)	11 (166.8228)	4 (170.8572)	2 (177.7028)
2019-10-04	Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship 🏅 Sheridan, AR	9 / 26 (666.7540)	7 (170.8572)	17 (155.9312)	3 (172.0000)	9 (167.9656)
2019-09-27	Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR	1 / 43 (699.9544)	6 (173.1316)	3 (173.7144)	3 (180.0000)	4 (173.1084)
2019-09-06	Smokin' on the White 🏅 Batesville, AR	8 / 15 (671.9084)	3 (172.0000)	9 (167.3828)	4 (170.2628)	14 (162.2628)
2019-08-16	Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest 🏅 Cape Girardeau, MO	13 / 45 (675.9084)	20 (166.8572)	23 (164.5372)	7 (173.1084)	11 (171.4056)
2019-06-14	Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook off 🏅 Hernado, MS	20 / 49 (678.1484)	20 (173.1084)	17 (171.9772)	34 (166.2400)	24 (166.8228)
2019-06-07	Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR	2 / 51 (699.9544)	9 (174.8572)	20 (169.6800)	3 (180.0000)	5 (175.4172)
2015-10-02	Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR	17 / 25 (628.8568)	23 (145.6340)	23 (143.8400)	5 (172.0000)	8 (167.3828)
2014-10-03	Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR	8 / 25 (674.8340)	9 (167.9656)	5 (170.8800)	11 (167.4056)	11 (168.5828)
2014-05-02	Smokelawn Hot Springs, AR	21 / 39 (651.3600)	17 (167.4056)	4 (173.1544)	30 (154.2400)	26 (156.5600)
2014-04-04	Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cookoff Kennett, MO	9 / 22 (665.7028)	17 (162.8344)	1 (175.4628)	18 (161.7028)	12 (165.7028)
2014-03-14	Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Benefiting Link Centre Tupelo, MS	19 / 95 (674.8228)	46 (164.5600)	7 (174.2972)	15 (171.4056)	39 (164.5600)
2013-05-03	Smokelawn Hot Springs, AR	29 / 41 (628.5710)	34 (154.8568)	12 (165.1428)	25 (159.4286)	37 (149.1428)

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
2023 ↗	Master	#421 (466 pts)	#373 (611 pts)	#544 (406 pts)	#481 (426 pts)	#566 (321 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#309 (751 pts)	#367 (656 pts)	#303 (841 pts)	#412 (556 pts)	#305 (766 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#188 (986 pts)	#162 (1116 pts)	#264 (796 pts)	#207 (931 pts)	#212 (921 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#872 (70 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#296 (1031 pts)	#310 (986 pts)	#468 (736 pts)	#281 (1071 pts)	#370 (881 pts)