Bluedog BBQ

Bluedog BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 43 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 9th of 19 at the Sydney Barbeque Festival (2018). They are ranked #6269 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BLUE DOG BBQ”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,269

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1416

peak 1512 · rated over 41 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 17, 2013

latest Aug 15, 2025 · 12.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#668

Master 2015 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

7% of 43 contests

Avg finish

top 69%

overall standings

Best overall

687.4172 / 720

Master · The River Grill before the Big Chill

Perfect 180s

Current form

643.13 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 650.27 (-7.14)

Walk rate

37%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8800

Pork Ribs · The River Grill before the Big Chill

Consistency

±13.72

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.56 · weakest Brisket (160.17)

Road miles

22,120

across 43 mapped stops · furthest 9,320 mi

Schedule strength

51%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1566)

Purse competed for

$69K

listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 11 state-championship entries

Master avg

650.27 / 720

41 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (13 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

687.4172 career-best overall

95.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 687.4172 at The River Grill before the Big Chill — 95.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 10, 2014

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

ACME BBQ has finished one call ahead of Bluedog BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2014 their best year

2014 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 45%.

5 contests
2 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 45%

A tough matchup

31–1 behind in the head-to-head

WeQ4U ahead in 97% of their meetings

WeQ4U has come out ahead in 31 of their 32 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.4 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.40 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 10% of the time against 21%.

Brisket avg 160.17
Chicken avg 166.56
4 calls in 41 entries

A strong matchup

12–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 92% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of D'Vine Swine in 12 of their 13 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival (Aug 20, 2021).

last seen Aug 16, 2019
back Aug 20, 2021

Show 6 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

25 of 32 shared chicken entries lost

WeQ4U ahead 78% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WeQ4U has out-cooked them in 25 of 32 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

House of Swine has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A June team

Top 49% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 49% across 3 contests, versus top 69% the rest of the year.

3 June contests
top 69% the rest of the year

The long haul

22,120 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 22,120 miles across 43 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 9,320 miles to Sydney Barbeque Festival.

43 mapped stops
furthest 9,320 mi

The metronome

±1.91% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.91% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.3% of a perfect score
43 contests

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked Jim Beam BBQ Classic every year from 2013 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 31st

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
2018 ↗	Master	#746 (446 pts)	#525 (701 pts)	#761 (471 pts)	#822 (416 pts)	#805 (421 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1215 (238 pts)	#888 (438 pts)	#1299 (238 pts)	#1291 (238 pts)	#979 (363 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1768 (121 pts)	#2020 (116 pts)	#1812 (131 pts)	#1768 (141 pts)	#2004 (116 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#668 (544 pts)	#481 (809 pts)	#583 (664 pts)	#620 (624 pts)	#586 (644 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1054 (293 pts)	#1138 (288 pts)	#874 (418 pts)	#1117 (293 pts)	#1154 (273 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1420 (160 pts)	#1551 (150 pts)	#1086 (280 pts)	#1392 (185 pts)	#1625 (140 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Bluedog BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

PARADISE QUE

#6,271 of the rated field

1415 power rating

Contests: 34
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 3%
Peak: 1415

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 34 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 34 contests
last seen Jul 26, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

Kick Em In The Butt BBQ

#6,265 of the rated field

1416 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1508

Fewer contests behind them than Bluedog BBQ has cooked, 22 to 43, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 22 contests
last seen May 15, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BIG AL'S BIG TIME BBQ

#6,270 of the rated field

1415 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1415

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 8 years before Bluedog BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 14 contests

⚔ Compare careers

TOADS JUMPIN SMOKE

#6,267 of the rated field

1416 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1416

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Jun 18, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

Just Smoke It! BBQ

#6,272 of the rated field

1415 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1415

They turned up 9 years after Bluedog BBQ did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Aug 30, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

WIZARD OF QZ

#6,268 of the rated field

1416 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1416

Level with Bluedog BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen May 5, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
WeQ4U	32	1	31	3%	⚔ compare
ACME BBQ	28	12	16	43%	⚔ compare
GREY STREET BBQ	28	0	28	0%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	26	0	26	0%	⚔ compare
Extra Mile BBQ	25	3	22	12%	⚔ compare
SMOKE-N-PEPPERS	20	2	18	10%	⚔ compare
HUG HOGS	20	1	19	5%	⚔ compare
FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE	18	3	15	17%	⚔ compare
SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ	18	0	18	0%	⚔ compare
HISTORIC BBQ	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare
RETIRED AND RUBBIN' IT	17	3	14	18%	⚔ compare
THUNDER HOG BBQ	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
CHARCOAL & MORE	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
Pappy Q	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	43	9	0	1	176.5600	156.5028	166.56	top 56%
Pork Ribs	42	5	0	1	178.8800	150.2516	163.28	top 61%
Pork	43	4	0	0	171.9772	141.0628	160.95	top 69%
Brisket	41	4	1	1	176.5716	146.7888	160.17	top 66%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 47%
Medium (20–39)	14	top 66%
Large (40+)	26	top 71%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
IN	20	top 73%
OH	10	top 57%
KY	10	top 75%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival	6	32	top 72%	Aug 19, 2022
Jim Beam BBQ Classic	6	31	top 85%	Oct 5, 2018
Bands & BBQ at the Point	3	14	top 70%	Sep 15, 2017
Buckeye State BBQ Championship	3	16	top 64%	May 15, 2015
Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues	2	34	top 82%	Aug 16, 2024
Smoke on the Water	2	19	top 78%	May 4, 2019
PigMania Lebanon State Championship BBQ & Music Festival	2	25	top 67%	Aug 31, 2018
The River Grill before the Big Chill	2	10	top 35%	Oct 9, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 9 contests

Contests a season 3.6 across 12 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IN 20 of 43 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 23 8 of them more than once

Opponents faced 528 finished ahead 536 times, behind 1,140

Longest layoff 2 yrs Aug 16, 2019 → Aug 20, 2021

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

20251 milestone

Aug 15 Most recent contest Madison Ribberfest

20171 milestone

Sep 15 25th tracked contest Bands & BBQ at the Point

20161 milestone

May 27 First category win (Brisket) PigMaina Lima

20151 milestone

May 2 10th tracked contest Smokin' on the Water

20144 milestones

Jun 20 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Oct 10 Career-best overall score687.4172 The River Grill before the Big Chill
Oct 10 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8800 The River Grill before the Big Chill
Oct 10 Peak power rating (1512) The River Grill before the Big Chill

20133 milestones

May 17 First tracked contest Buckeye State BBQ Championship
Aug 16 First call Madison Ribberfest: Barbeque & Blues
Aug 16 First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.0856 Madison Ribberfest: Barbeque & Blues

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.9	The River Grill before the Big Chill	Oct 10, 2014
+10.1	PigMania Hilliard State Championship BBQ & Music Festival	Jun 29, 2018
+8.9	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jun 20, 2014
+6.2	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival	Aug 18, 2017
+6	Madison Ribberfest: Barbeque & Blues	Aug 16, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.7	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	Sep 30, 2016
-8.7	Smokin on the Water 2	May 1, 2015
-8.3	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	Oct 6, 2017
-8.2	CCS Fest: CCS Spring Festival & BBQ Competition	Apr 22, 2016
-8.2	Buckeye State BBQ Championship	May 15, 2015

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2025	1	0	0	0%	top 89%	89.3%	89.3%
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 82%	90.2%	90.2%
2023	2	0	0	0%	top 78%	89.1%	89.1%
2022	1	0	0	0%	top 84%	88.9%	88.9%
2021	1	0	0	0%	top 74%	91.1%	91.1%
2019	2	0	0	0%	top 83%	89.3%	88.6%
2018	9	1	0	56%	top 70%	93.6%	90.4%
2017	4	0	0	25%	top 70%	92.9%	90.3%
2016	6	0	1	17%	top 79%	91.1%	89.8%
2015	8	0	0	50%	top 65%	93.1%	91.1%
2014	5	2	0	80%	top 45%	95.5%	91.9%
2013	3	0	0	33%	top 60%	91.3%	89.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 15, 2025	Madison Ribberfest 🏅 Madison, IN	40 / 45 (642.6400)	28 (170.2628)	22 (169.6800)	45 (144.4800)	38 (158.2172)
Aug 16, 2024	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues 🏅 Madison, IN	40 / 49 (649.5772)	43 (162.8344)	39 (162.2400)	42 (161.6800)	35 (162.8228)
Aug 18, 2023	Madison Ribberfest BBQ Blues 🏅 Madison, IN	34 / 41 (641.5544)	23 (170.8228)	22 (168.5600)	36 (154.8344)	37 (147.3372)
Apr 28, 2023	Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH	31 / 42 (641.5888)	27 (163.9772)	38 (153.6344)	21 (164.5944)	28 (159.3828)
Aug 19, 2022	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival 🏅 Madison, IN	38 / 45 (640.3084)	33 (165.6800)	32 (162.8000)	39 (154.7656)	36 (157.0628)
Aug 20, 2021	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival 🏅 Madison, IN	32 / 43 (655.7944)	28 (167.4060)	21 (167.3828)	31 (160.5028)	33 (160.5028)
Aug 16, 2019	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival 🏅 Madsion, IN	36 / 47 (642.6400)	41 (157.0512)	24 (163.9888)	39 (157.0744)	27 (164.5256)
May 4, 2019	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Liberty, IN	23 / 26 (632.9256)	14 (168.5256)	23 (157.6572)	21 (153.0856)	24 (153.6572)
Oct 5, 2018	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	39 / 42 (637.0172)	38 (157.7256)	29 (163.9544)	35 (159.9544)	38 (155.3828)
Sep 21, 2018	First Tennessee Bank Bluegrass & BBQ (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) (JUDGES FULL) Columbia, TN	—	6 (166.8344)	6 (170.8800)	4 (171.9772)	—
Aug 31, 2018	PigMania Lebanon State Championship BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lebanon, OH	33 / 46 (666.7200)	7 (176.5600)	32 (163.9312)	35 (164.5372)	40 (161.6916)
Aug 17, 2018	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	47 / 54 (635.2348)	51 (157.0744)	18 (169.1316)	40 (162.2400)	52 (146.7888)
Jun 29, 2018	PigMania Hilliard State Championship BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Hilliard, OH	12 / 33 (673.6000)	3 (173.1200)	21 (163.9544)	12 (169.1428)	18 (167.3828)
Jun 1, 2018	Friends Of OBR Pitmaster Challenge (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) Louisville, KY	—	4 (172.5600)	—	13 (164.0228)	—
May 5, 2018	Smoke on the Water Liberty, IN	19 / 28 (660.4228)	11 (171.4056)	12 (166.8344)	26 (159.9428)	18 (162.2400)
Apr 6, 2018	CCS Fest Indianapolis, IN	44 / 49 (628.9028)	35 (163.9428)	44 (153.6572)	43 (157.0628)	43 (154.2400)
Feb 10, 2018	Sydney Barbeque Festival Sydney	9 / 19 (653.1084)	6 (166.9028)	11 (162.2400)	6 (166.8456)	15 (157.1200)
Oct 6, 2017	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	41 / 44 (633.4976)	30 (166.2400)	32 (162.2516)	43 (150.7772)	41 (154.2288)
Sep 15, 2017	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	26 / 33 (641.4972)	15 (168.5488)	28 (156.5144)	27 (159.9312)	21 (156.5028)
Sep 1, 2017	PigMania Lebanon State Championship BBQ & Music Festival ( TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) 🏅 Lebanon, OH	25 / 40 (657.6116)	16 (169.1200)	26 (164.5716)	28 (162.8228)	26 (161.0972)
Aug 18, 2017	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	25 / 55 (669.0056)	7 (175.4172)	27 (165.6800)	42 (153.0628)	7 (174.8456)
Sep 30, 2016	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	42 / 43 (634.6632)	29 (166.8228)	40 (155.3716)	35 (162.2516)	42 (150.2172)
Sep 16, 2016	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	26 / 31 (655.2688)	20 (169.6916)	25 (162.2744)	25 (161.6572)	22 (161.6456)
Aug 19, 2016	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festisval Madison, IN	38 / 63 (655.7940)	41 (163.3828)	26 (167.3828)	29 (167.3828)	48 (157.6456)
Jun 24, 2016	Smoke on the Square: In memory of David Harness Franklin, IN	24 / 31 (643.8056)	26 (159.3944)	22 (163.3828)	20 (165.0856)	25 (155.9428)
May 27, 2016	PigMaina Lima Lima, OH	20 / 29 (652.3772)	25 (156.5028)	23 (158.8000)	20 (160.5028)	1 (176.5716)
Apr 22, 2016	CCS Fest: CCS Spring Festival & BBQ Competition Indianapolis, IN	42 / 49 (636.2968)	43 (159.9312)	38 (155.3600)	39 (159.3600)	29 (161.6456)
Oct 9, 2015	The River Grill before the Big Chill Cincinnati, OH	22 / 45 (658.6852)	35 (163.9312)	32 (159.9656)	9 (171.4056)	27 (163.3828)
Oct 2, 2015	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	34 / 45 (656.4000)	34 (163.9428)	39 (159.3944)	33 (164.5372)	18 (168.5256)
Sep 11, 2015	Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY	14 / 29 (669.0516)	18 (166.2516)	21 (162.8228)	14 (169.1544)	8 (170.8228)
Aug 21, 2015	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	34 / 64 (659.8744)	31 (166.2744)	43 (161.6800)	23 (169.6684)	36 (162.2516)
Jul 17, 2015	Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! New Palestine, IN	27 / 44 (670.2056)	6 (176)	10 (173.1428)	41 (159.9428)	34 (161.1200)
May 15, 2015	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	29 / 36 (643.8284)	18 (169.6912)	21 (165.6800)	31 (159.3600)	33 (149.0972)
May 2, 2015	Smokin' on the Water Liberty, IN	26 / 36 (657.6572)	8 (173.1200)	15 (167.4400)	35 (147.9772)	17 (169.1200)
May 1, 2015	Smokin on the Water 2 Liberty, IN	31 / 37 (632.4000)	14 (169.7028)	20 (167.4172)	37 (141.0628)	31 (154.2172)
Oct 10, 2014	The River Grill before the Big Chill Cincinnati, OH	10 / 49 (687.4172)	11 (174.2628)	2 (178.8800)	26 (167.9772)	17 (166.2972)
Oct 3, 2014	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	33 / 44 (654.1944)	35 (165.1200)	42 (152.5716)	10 (171.9656)	22 (164.5372)
Aug 15, 2014	Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues Festival Madison, IN	34 / 60 (650.6740)	41 (163.9312)	31 (161.1200)	31 (163.3828)	28 (162.2400)
Jun 20, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Lexington, KY	9 / 28 (669.6112)	5 (173.1200)	15 (165.6800)	16 (163.4056)	10 (167.4056)
May 16, 2014	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	16 / 38 (644.9596)	21 (159.3712)	7 (168.5256)	27 (158.2516)	25 (158.8112)
Oct 4, 2013	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	31 / 41 (642.7544)	14 (172.5600)	40 (150.2516)	24 (162.2400)	34 (157.7028)
Aug 16, 2013	Madison Ribberfest: Barbeque & Blues Madison, IN	21 / 60 (657.0856)	40 (158.8112)	6 (170.2972)	15 (167.4172)	28 (160.5600)
May 17, 2013	Buckeye State BBQ Championship West Chester, OH	24 / 35 (624.5710)	22 (158.2852)	19 (160.5714)	29 (153.7144)	24 (152)

Bluedog BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (13 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A June team

The long haul

The metronome

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)