Perfect scores on the board
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
- Chicken ×1
- Pork Ribs ×1
RIO VALLEY MEAT
RIO VALLEY MEAT is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 7th of 28 at The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) (2025). They are ranked #1130 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1592
peak 1592 · rated over 9 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
11
in the data
First seen
Aug 26, 2016
latest May 31, 2025 · 8.8 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
4 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
18% of 11 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s, still running
Avg finish
top 27%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
681.87 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 681.33 (+0.54)
Walk rate
64%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±10.10
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 173.24 · weakest Brisket (168.02)
Road miles
5,655
across 11 mapped stops · furthest 1,632 mi
Schedule strength
72%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1592)
Purse competed for
$121K
listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
681.33 / 720
11 Master contests · 0 GCs
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to RIO VALLEY MEAT, each with one reason worth a look.
30 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,131 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1592
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to RIO VALLEY MEAT)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team RIO VALLEY MEAT has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,125 of the rated field
- Contests
- 31
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1596
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to RIO VALLEY MEAT)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 26 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,133 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 85%
- Peak
- 1592
Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,127 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1610
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 7 years before RIO VALLEY MEAT's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,129 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 31%
- Peak
- 1620
Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 26 contests, alongside a 31% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,126 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 39%
- Peak
- 1620
Level with RIO VALLEY MEAT 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' SAUCED | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| HONKY-TONK SMOKERS | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| INSANE SWINE BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| 4 LEGS UP BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| BUTCHER BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 180 🔥 | 164.5828 | 173.24 | top 25% |
| Pork Ribs | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 180 🔥 | 165.1428 | 171.06 | top 31% |
| Pork | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 177.7144 | 159.3600 | 169.01 | top 40% |
| Brisket | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 176.5600 | 157.0856 | 168.02 | top 41% |
“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) | 2 | 0 | top 26% |
| Large (40+) | 9 | 0 | top 27% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 26% | May 31, 2025 |
| Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 15% | Oct 27, 2017 |
| 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2 | 34 | 0 | top 35% | Oct 29, 2016 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2016
4 contests
Contests a season
2.8
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
3 of 11 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
8
3 of them more than once
Opponents faced
1,150
finished ahead 1,243 times, behind 341
Longest layoff
5.8 yrs
Nov 8, 2017 → Sep 8, 2023
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20255 milestones
- First overall top-10 The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1)
- 10th tracked contest The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1)
- Career-best overall score694.2288 The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2)
- Peak power rating (1592) The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2)
- Most recent contest The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2)
20171 milestone
- First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)
20163 milestones
- First tracked contest Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score671.3028 Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship
- First call Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.8 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) | Oct 21, 2016 |
| +16 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) | Oct 27, 2017 |
| +15.9 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | Oct 29, 2016 |
| +11.3 | Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier) | Feb 3, 2017 |
| +10.3 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | Aug 26, 2016 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -0.7 | World Barbecue Championship | Nov 8, 2017 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 26% | 96.4% | 95.6% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 26% | 96.2% | 94.8% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 30% | 96.3% | 94.1% |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 27% | 95.9% | 94.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2025 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 7 / 28 (694.2288) | 2 (180) | 5 (175.4288) | 11 (171.9888) | 19 (166.8112) |
| May 30, 2025 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1) 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 8 / 30 (682.7660) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (176.0116) | 28 (159.3600) | 12 (168.5372) |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 36 / 211 (692.5028) | 81 (173.1200) | 127 (169.6800) | 8 (177.7144) | 69 (171.9884) |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff 🏅 Waller, TX | 34 / 99 (673.0740) | 10 (174.2856) | 41 (168.5600) | 18 (173.1428) | 67 (157.0856) |
| Nov 8, 2017 | World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL | 57 / 93 (666.7888) | 70 (164.5828) | 32 (169.1316) | 24 (170.8344) | 71 (162.2400) |
| Oct 27, 2017 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 15 / 95 (693.6112) | 48 (170.8228) | 3 (180) | 64 (166.2284) | 9 (176.5600) |
| Feb 3, 2017 | Humble Rodeo & BBQ ( WFC Qualifier) Humble, TX | 16 / 136 (671.9312) | 10 (172) | 49 (165.1428) | 23 (170.2512) | 42 (164.5372) |
| Oct 29, 2016 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 34 / 557 (686.8112) | 24 (175.4400) | 163 (168.5828) | 133 (169.6800) | 63 (173.1084) |
| Oct 28, 2016 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS | 116 / 180 (671.3484) | 33 (175.4056) | 113 (166.2628) | 161 (161.6800) | 98 (168) |
| Oct 21, 2016 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 13 / 96 (690.2396) | 28 (171.9884) | 5 (176.5944) | 21 (171.9884) | 40 (169.6684) |
| Aug 26, 2016 | Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX | 16 / 72 (671.3028) | 21 (169.1200) | 33 (166.2744) | 26 (166.2284) | 16 (169.6800) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.