The one to beat
3×
one call ahead of them
Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ has finished one call ahead of Bulldog BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
Bulldog BBQ
Bulldog BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 27 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 5th of 29 at the MD State BBQ Bash (2025). They are ranked #5686 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BulldogBBQ” and “Bull Dog BBQ”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1446
peak 1446 · rated over 22 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
27
in the data
First seen
Apr 17, 2015
latest Jun 19, 2026 · 11.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
15% of 27 contests
Avg finish
top 73%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
322.20 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 316.57 (+5.63)
Walk rate
26%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±17.77
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 157.28 · weakest Brisket (148.33)
Road miles
18,354
across 27 mapped stops · furthest 1,783 mi
Schedule strength
49%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1564)
Purse competed for
$122K
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
595.98 / 720
6 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
316.57 / 360
16 Backyard contests · 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)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Bulldog BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
100 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#5,670 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1447
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Bulldog BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Bulldog BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#5,696 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1446
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Bulldog BBQ)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#5,699 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1446
2–2 in 4 shared contests (50% to Bulldog BBQ)
Fewer contests behind them than Bulldog BBQ has cooked, 7 to 27, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#5,689 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 87%
- Peak
- 1504
23 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 87% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#5,687 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1446
Level with Bulldog BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#5,672 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1447
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Bulldog BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menke Boys BBQ | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| HotMess BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Pinky Out BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| LAKEVIEW BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Estancia | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE & GRAY BBQ | 7 | 3 | 3 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| B'S QUE | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKECRAFT - MD | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Oink N' Doink BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Ain't That Rich | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 24 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 176.5600 | 135.4400 | 157.28 | top 67% |
| Pork Ribs | 25 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 178.8572 | 131.9432 | 154.07 | top 67% |
| Pork | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167.3828 | 136 | 152.12 | top 77% |
| Brisket | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 161.0972 | 128.4688 | 148.33 | top 82% |
“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 70% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 85% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) | 4 | 6 | 0 | top 52% | May 17, 2025 |
| Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 21 | 0 | top 73% | Jun 14, 2024 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 35 | 0 | top 99% | Jun 19, 2026 |
| Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 52% | Aug 9, 2025 |
| Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 71% | Aug 10, 2024 |
| Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 80% | Oct 13, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
6 contests
Contests a season
2.7
across 10 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IL
6 of 27 contests · 11 states in all
Contests visited
14
6 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
25 entries · 1 win · 4 calls
Opponents faced
535
finished ahead 293 times, behind 683
Longest layoff
3 yrs
Jun 21, 2019 → Jun 17, 2022
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
20253 milestones
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1)
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1)
- 25th tracked contest Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2)
20232 milestones
- First overall top-10 Maryland State BBQ Bash
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score329.6916 Maryland State BBQ Bash
20192 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown (DAY 1) CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
- Career-best overall score610.1600 Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown (DAY 1) CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
20171 milestone
- First call Rib Fest 2017 (BACKYARD)
20152 milestones
- First tracked contest Bynum Schools Best of the Basin BBQ Championship
- Peak power rating (1488) Bynum Schools Best of the Basin BBQ Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.8 | MD State BBQ Bash | Oct 10, 2025 |
| +14.3 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | Oct 13, 2023 |
| +14.1 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) | May 16, 2025 |
| +12.8 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1) | Aug 8, 2025 |
| +1.1 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jun 14, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.3 | Bynum Schools Best of the Basin BBQ Championship | Apr 17, 2015 |
| -11.9 | Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest | Sep 12, 2015 |
| -11.6 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jun 19, 2026 |
| -11.2 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) | Jun 17, 2022 |
| -11.2 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | Oct 14, 2022 |
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 100% | 83.6% | 83.6% |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 67% | top 51% | 95.5% | 91% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 65% | 91.1% | 87.5% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 45% | 91.6% | 90.5% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 114% | 82.5% | 79.6% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 94% | 84.7% | 71.7% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 92% | 84.6% | 84.6% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 97% | 82.8% | 82.8% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 74% | 84.2% | 84.2% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 92% | 81.8% | 80.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 2026 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 41 / 41 (300.9372) | 24 (166.2744) | 41 (134.6628) | — | — |
| Oct 10, 2025 | MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 5 / 29 (341.6572) | 3 (176.5600) | 15 (165.0972) | — | — |
| Aug 9, 2025 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) 🏅 Doswell, VA | 18 / 25 (314.7660) | 18 (157.0744) | 18 (157.6916) | — | — |
| Aug 8, 2025 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1) 🏅 Doswell, VA | 8 / 25 (343.9772) | 17 (165.1200) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 35 / 36 (309.6572) | 19 (167.9772) | 36 (141.6800) | — | — |
| May 17, 2025 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 14 / 21 (316.5028) | 10 (162.8344) | 14 (153.6684) | — | — |
| May 16, 2025 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 6 / 28 (338.8000) | 6 (171.4172) | 9 (167.3828) | — | — |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 20 / 28 (314.7660) | 18 (159.9428) | 20 (154.8232) | 18 (159.3828) | — |
| Aug 9, 2024 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 19 / 27 (310.1948) | 18 (159.9660) | 21 (150.2288) | 11 (167.3828) | — |
| Jun 14, 2024 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 24 / 40 (325.1084) | 30 (159.9884) | 20 (165.1200) | — | — |
| May 18, 2024 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 16 / 26 (327.9084) | 17 (160.5372) | 13 (167.3712) | — | — |
| May 17, 2024 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 22 / 37 (296.4912) | 22 (146.2056) | 22 (150.2856) | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 6 / 23 (329.6916) | 17 (161.0972) | 4 (168.5944) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2023 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 21 / 33 (321.7256) | 13 (165.7144) | 25 (156.0112) | — | — |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD | 40 / 30 (275.9316) | 36 (143.9884) | 38 (131.9432) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) Morris, IL | 22 / 23 (297.0396) | 21 (150.2168) | 21 (146.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 21, 2019 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1 🏅 Belvidere, IL | — | — | 17 (134.2516) | — | — |
| May 17, 2019 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown (DAY 1) CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Plymouth, MA | 24 / 27 (610.1600) | 26 (140) | 24 (150.8228) | 22 (158.2400) | 17 (161.0972) |
| May 11, 2019 | Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 41 / 41 (317.1316) | 8 (168.5600) | 38 (148.5716) | — | — |
| Jul 13, 2018 | 2018 Clayton BBQ Cook-off Clayton, CA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 1, 2018 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 27th Annual ( JUDGES FULL) McLouth, KS | 33 / 36 (608.9596) | 31 (156.5256) | 27 (159.3828) | 36 (141.6684) | 33 (151.3828) |
| Sep 29, 2017 | Smokin-in-Sapulpa 4th Annual BBQ Sapulpa, OK | 29 / 30 (595.8284) | 29 (154.7772) | 28 (147.4400) | 30 (145.6684) | 27 (147.9428) |
| Jul 15, 2017 | 2017 Clayton BBQ Cook-off a KCBS (Competitor Series) event Sponsored by the CBCA Clayton, CA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 23, 2017 | Rib Fest 2017 (BACKYARD) Sioux, IA | — | 10 (155.4056) | 8 (158.8344) | — | — |
| Apr 22, 2016 | Bynum School's Best of the Basin Midland, TX | 34 / 46 (606.3656) | 38 (143.4744) | 30 (153.7372) | 29 (156.5940) | 28 (152.5600) |
| Sep 12, 2015 | Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest Harvard, MA | 35 / 37 (589.0056) | 34 (145.6800) | 20 (158.8228) | 37 (136) | 32 (148.5028) |
| Apr 17, 2015 | Bynum Schools Best of the Basin BBQ Championship Midland, TX | 39 / 44 (565.5888) | 43 (135.4400) | 34 (149.6800) | 29 (152) | 43 (128.4688) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.