The heartbreaker
2.2972
points from the title
Came within 2.2972 points of the Grand Championship at The Art of the 'Cue (BACKYARD ONLY) (Jul 12, 2024).
Pig Destroyer
Pig Destroyer is a competition barbecue team with 39 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2025. They have won 4 Grand Championships, most recently at the Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) (2023), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 3 times. They are ranked #925 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1613
peak 1623 · rated over 25 contests11 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
39
in the data
First seen
Mar 8, 2019
latest Jun 13, 2025 · 6.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
4
3 reserve · wins it all 10% of the time
Category wins
6
19 podiums
Overall top-10s
21
54% of 39 contests
Best top-10 run
5
straight overall top-10s · 2 straight GCs
Avg finish
top 32%
overall standings
Best overall
698.2172 / 720
Competitor Series · Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES)
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
346.93 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 340.23 (+6.70)
Walk rate
72%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±10.21
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 169.59 · weakest Brisket (160.87)
Road miles
5,011
across 38 mapped stops · furthest 461 mi
Schedule strength
61%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1577)
Purse competed for
$250K
listed at 33 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 15 state-championship entries
Master avg
656.20 / 720
5 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
340.23 / 360
10 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
503.72 / 540
10 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 1 GC
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), 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 ↗ | Master | #1148 (60 pts) | #1221 (60 pts) | #1278 (65 pts) | #1078 (95 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #87 (704 pts) | #113 (549 pts) | #101 (589 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1182 (60 pts) | #1242 (60 pts) | #1317 (60 pts) | #1231 (60 pts) | #990 (115 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #150 (330 pts) | #152 (395 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1432 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #74 (647 pts) | #34 (970 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #48 (749 pts) | #50 (719 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1236 (60 pts) | #1286 (60 pts) | #1269 (70 pts) | #1262 (60 pts) | #1245 (60 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1471 (120 pts) | #1593 (120 pts) | #1575 (120 pts) | #1578 (120 pts) | #1536 (120 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Pig Destroyer, each with one reason worth a look.
#924 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1613
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 24 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#926 of the rated field
- Contests
- 29
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 55%
- Peak
- 1613
Their last contest in the data was back in 2020, 5 years before Pig Destroyer's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#920 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 38%
- Peak
- 1616
Fewer contests behind them than Pig Destroyer has cooked, 21 to 39, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#921 of the rated field
- Contests
- 36
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1636
36 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 25% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#923 of the rated field
- Contests
- 47
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 34%
- Peak
- 1637
They were already cooking in 2013, 6 years before Pig Destroyer's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#928 of the rated field
- Contests
- 61
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1677
Level with Pig Destroyer on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEE LA Q | 22 | 10 | 12 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| 2 Swine Crew | 19 | 11 | 8 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| VETERAN PORK PULLERS | 17 | 6 | 11 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| REDBONES BBQ | 16 | 8 | 8 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| NORALA BBQ TEAM | 15 | 7 | 8 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| HELL ON SQUEALS | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| RIBLIFE | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Hickory Hangover | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| Dogpatch Q | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Serious Hog | 10 | 9 | 1 | 90% | ⚔ compare |
| Hogs B Hatin' | 10 | 8 | 2 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin' Bandits BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Organizer Portal | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| WestNash BBQ | 9 | 9 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 36 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 178.2972 | 150.8456 | 168.87 | top 39% |
| Pork Ribs | 37 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 178.8572 | 151.9772 | 169.59 | top 35% |
| Pork | 23 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 177.7028 | 160.5028 | 169.24 | top 36% |
| Brisket | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 171.9656 | 149.6684 | 160.87 | top 73% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 3 | 0 | top 48% |
| Medium (20–39) | 22 | 4 | top 23% |
| Large (40+) | 11 | 0 | top 45% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 18% | Jun 13, 2025 |
| Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 7% | Apr 19, 2024 |
| The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 25% | Jun 10, 2022 |
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 29% | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Smoke on the Falls | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 22% | Apr 7, 2023 |
| Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 44% | Aug 12, 2022 |
| Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 19% | Mar 4, 2022 |
| Great Americana BBQ Festival | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 36% | Aug 27, 2021 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
8 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
4.9
across 8 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
23 of 39 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
24
8 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
37 entries · 3 wins · 21 calls
First title
Apr 17, 2021
Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY)
Opponents faced
882
finished ahead 1,211 times, behind 610
Longest layoff
1.4 yrs
Oct 4, 2019 → Mar 5, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20251 milestone
- Most recent contest Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES)
20242 milestones
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 The Art of the 'Cue (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Peak power rating (1623) Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
20233 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (One Meat Ribs)
- Biggest field won (32 teams) Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- Career-best overall score698.2172 Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES)
20221 milestone
- First multi-meat day The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES)
20213 milestones
- First Grand Championship Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 10th tracked contest Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First Reserve Championship The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES)
20181 milestone
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Clarksville BBQ Bash (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) (JUDGES FULL)
—5 milestones
- First tracked contest Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First call Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First overall top-10 Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First overall podium Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score519.3600 Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.2 | Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY) | Apr 17, 2021 |
| +15.4 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | Mar 4, 2022 |
| +15.2 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 15, 2024 |
| +13.1 | The Art of the 'Cue (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jul 12, 2024 |
| +12.7 | Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 6, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.5 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 14, 2025 |
| -8.4 | Smoketoberfest | Oct 4, 2019 |
| -6.5 | Smithfield Classic in Nashville | Sep 3, 2021 |
| -4.8 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 8, 2019 |
| -4.6 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 12, 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 8% | 96.2% | 96.2% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 37% | 96.8% | 95.2% |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 83% | top 18% | 98.1% | 96.3% |
| 2023 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 50% | top 16% | 97% | 95.6% |
| 2022 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 88% | top 34% | 96.2% | 94% |
| 2021 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 88% | top 35% | 95.9% | 93.2% |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40% | top 58% | 94.9% | 89.8% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 50% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 2025 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 11 / 36 (513.0512) | 25 (164.5256) | 14 (171.9656) | 4 (176.5600) | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 4 / 31 (522.7884) | 3 (176.5600) | 10 (171.9656) | — | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 67 / 100 (675.3028) | 38 (173.7028) | 24 (173.7028) | 18 (175.4172) | 96 (152.4800) |
| Sep 6, 2024 | Bernard Blues and BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Cullman, AL | 2 / 27 (351.9656) | 3 (177.7028) | 9 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2024 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues 🏅 Madison, IN | 28 / 49 (675.2684) | 34 (167.3828) | 33 (166.2400) | 28 (169.6800) | 14 (171.9656) |
| Jul 12, 2024 | The Art of the 'Cue (BACKYARD ONLY) Shelbyville, TN | 2 / 17 (353.1200) | 6 (174.2628) | 1 (178.8572) | 2 (175.4056) | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 7 / 33 (513.0744) | 1 (178.2972) | 24 (162.8116) | 7 (171.9656) | — |
| Apr 19, 2024 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 3 / 37 (523.9428) | 15 (169.6800) | 3 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 4 / 93 (346.2400) | 7 (173.1200) | 5 (173.1200) | 12 (169.6800) | — |
| Aug 4, 2023 | Smoke in the Outfield (BACKYARD) (TEAM REGISTRATION FULL) Madison, AL | 25 / 58 (339.3484) | 21 (169.6684) | 31 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 1 / 30 (698.2172) | 9 (171.9772) | 11 (168.5372) | 2 (177.7028) | — |
| May 12, 2023 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 1 / 32 (522.2400) | 6 (169.6800) | 7 (172.5600) | — | — |
| Apr 7, 2023 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 6 / 39 (343.9656) | 11 (171.9656) | 7 (172) | — | — |
| Mar 17, 2023 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 13 / 80 (340.4912) | 13 (171.9656) | 15 (168.5256) | — | — |
| Mar 17, 2023 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (One Meat Ribs) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 40 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Aug 12, 2022 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) Glencoe, AL | 23 / 35 (498.1484) | 22 (165.0856) | 26 (162.2400) | 17 (170.8228) | — |
| Aug 5, 2022 | Back to School Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Madison, AL | 14 / 21 (498.7428) | 16 (163.3712) | 2 (174.2744) | 20 (161.0972) | — |
| Jun 10, 2022 | The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 1 / 26 (692.5144) | 6 (171.4056) | 1 (174.2744) | 1 (174.8572) | — |
| May 20, 2022 | The High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) 🏅 Winchester, TN | 11 / 29 (338.2288) | 7 (174.2744) | 17 (163.9544) | — | — |
| Apr 22, 2022 | Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (Backyard) Florence, AL | 13 / 34 (503.2912) | 9 (175.4056) | 16 (167.3828) | 27 (160.5028) | — |
| Apr 8, 2022 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 10 / 34 (342.2284) | 20 (166.8112) | 3 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Apr 2, 2022 | Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY) Chelsea, AL | 5 / 20 (512.4800) | 14 (166.2400) | 4 (174.2628) | 3 (171.9772) | — |
| Mar 4, 2022 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 5 / 73 (510.1828) | 13 (168.5256) | 5 (175.4172) | 13 (166.2400) | — |
| Nov 19, 2021 | Mission Q (Backyard Only) Tuscumbia, AL | 10 / 14 (330.7656) | 9 (168.5256) | 11 (162.2400) | — | — |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Smokin' For Garrett 🏅 Boonville, IN | 8 / 27 (495.8968) | 16 (153.6684) | 8 (168.5256) | 5 (173.7028) | — |
| Sep 3, 2021 | Smithfield Classic in Nashville 🏅 Nashville, TN | 43 / 50 (663.8512) | 47 (161.0856) | 23 (171.9772) | 37 (167.9656) | 46 (162.8228) |
| Aug 27, 2021 | Great Americana BBQ Festival 🏅 Franklin, TN | 6 / 25 (508.4800) | 3 (174.2628) | 4 (171.4172) | 17 (162.8000) | — |
| Aug 6, 2021 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 7 / 31 (506.1944) | 5 (175.4056) | 27 (158.8116) | 3 (171.9772) | — |
| Jun 11, 2021 | The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 2 / 20 (690.8228) | 3 (172.5828) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (171.4056) | — |
| Apr 17, 2021 | Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY) Chelsea, AL | 1 / 21 (517.6684) | 4 (171.4056) | 6 (170.2512) | 1 (176.0116) | — |
| Mar 5, 2021 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 26 / 81 (486.1144) | 33 (152.4800) | 7 (173.1200) | 29 (160.5144) | — |
| Oct 4, 2019 | Smoketoberfest 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 43 / 49 (615.8740) | 45 (150.8456) | 45 (151.9772) | 34 (163.3828) | 42 (149.6684) |
| Aug 23, 2019 | Great Americana BBQ Festival 🏅 Franklin, TN | 19 / 39 (315.9316) | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 7, 2019 | The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 11 / 18 (487.3144) | 12 (162.2744) | 8 (164.5372) | 12 (160.5028) | — |
| May 11, 2019 | Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 6 / 41 (512.5260) | 4 (175.4172) | 6 (168.5372) | — | — |
| Mar 8, 2019 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Nashville, TN | 52 / 67 (650.6860) | 53 (162.2516) | 57 (158.8000) | 50 (162.2400) | 42 (167.3944) |
| Oct 19, 2018 | Clarksville BBQ Bash (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) (JUDGES FULL) Clarksville, TN | — | 5 (165.6684) | 1 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Aug 24, 2018 | Great American BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Franklin, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| — | Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 3 / 36 (519.3600) | 6 (171.9772) | 6 (173.1200) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.