SWINESTONE COWBOYS

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

Power ranking

#501

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1677

peak 1677 · rated over 24 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-03-29

latest 2017-07-21

Best ToY finish

#62

Master 2013

Grand champs

3 reserve

Category wins

25 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 27 contests

Avg finish

top 24%

overall standings

Best overall

693.7140 / 720

Master · South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition

Perfect 180s

Current form

670.51 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 671.21 (-0.70)

Walk rate

85%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

179.4400

Chicken · National Western BBQ Throwdown

Consistency

±15.21

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.17 · weakest Brisket (166.13)

Road miles

7,792

mi across 27 mapped stops · furthest 1060 mi

Schedule strength

29%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1539)

Master avg

671.21 / 720

27 Master contests · 4 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (18 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

0.0576 points from the title

Came within 0.0576 points of the Grand Championship at Arvada On-Tap A Craft Beer and BBQ Fest (2016-07-22).

Among the elite

#501 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 8% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1677 puts them #501 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 8% of the field.

rating 1677
peak 1677
24 rated contests

Against the odds

24-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 76 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer & BBQ Fest (2015-07-24) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 24-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, BIG POPPA SMOKERS.

Giant slayer

30 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 30-team field at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

2013-03-29

Happy hunting ground

Top 6% average finish here

Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge is their spot: an average finish in the top 6% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 2nd
average top 6%

Multi-meat days

2 contests with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 2 times — the best of them 2 category wins at Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer & BBQ Fest (2015-07-24).

Pork 1st
Brisket 1st

They almost always walk

85% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 23 of 27 contests

A top-10 category call in 85% of their 27 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

693.7140 career-best overall

96.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 693.7140 at South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition — 96.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
2013-06-21

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

G "QUE" has finished one call ahead of SWINESTONE COWBOYS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2013 3 Grand Championships

2013 was the year it came together: 15 contests, 3 Grand Championships and 7 category wins, at an average finish in the top 23%.

15 contests
10 overall top-10s
7 category wins
average top 23%

A tough matchup

7–2 behind in the head-to-head

CLARK CREW BBQ ahead in 78% of their meetings

CLARK CREW BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 9 shared contests.

A strong matchup

16–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 89% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of GRILLIN' BEAVERS in 16 of their 18 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

11 of 17 shared chicken entries lost

BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES ahead 65% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES has out-cooked them in 11 of 17 shared chicken entries.

Announced themselves early

1st at their very first contest

Finished 1 of 30 at their very first tracked contest, Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (2013-03-29).

2013-03-29
30-team field

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS has landed one call behind them 3 times.

An August team

Top 10% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 10% across 3 contests, versus top 24% the rest of the year.

3 August contests
top 24% the rest of the year

The long haul

7,792 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 7,792 miles across 27 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,060 miles to Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY).

27 mapped stops
furthest 1,060 mi

The metronome

±2.11% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.11% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.2% of a perfect score
27 contests

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.

LA PASADITA

#503 of the rated field

1676 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 175
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 37%
Peak: 1805

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to SWINESTONE COWBOYS)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SWINESTONE COWBOYS has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 162 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company

#502 of the rated field

1676 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 100
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1676

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 94 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 94 contests
last seen 2025-08-01

⚔ Head-to-head

WOODWARD BARBEQUE

#499 of the rated field

1677 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 116
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1741

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to SWINESTONE COWBOYS)

116 contests to 27: their number has had years to settle where SWINESTONE COWBOYS's is still finding its level.

rated over 113 contests
last seen 2018-09-15

⚔ Head-to-head

Sweet Cheeks BBQ

#500 of the rated field

1677 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 7
Top-10s: 80%
Peak: 1677

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 7 Grand Championships in 25 contests, alongside a 80% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2021-05-14

⚔ Head-to-head

RUNNING STYLE BBQ - GA

#506 of the rated field

1676 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 83%
Peak: 1687

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 6 years after SWINESTONE COWBOYS did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2026-05-29

⚔ Head-to-head

DUCE'S WILD

#497 of the rated field

1677 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 46%
Peak: 1682

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2018-08-24

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GRILLIN' BEAVERS	18	16	2	89%	⚔ compare
Backdraft BBQ	17	14	3	82%	⚔ compare
BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES	17	8	9	47%	⚔ compare
JO-BAWB'S BBQ	16	12	4	75%	⚔ compare
LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
G "QUE"	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
STARS AND STRIPES BBQ	12	12	0	100%	⚔ compare
Lost Weekend Grill	11	11	0	100%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ	11	11	0	100%	⚔ compare
BRACKEN RACKS BBQ	11	11	0	100%	⚔ compare
WE'RE BURNIN DAYLIGHT BBQ	11	10	1	91%	⚔ compare
WILD HOGS BBQ	10	7	3	70%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN TRIGGERS	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
THE CELTIC PIG	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
FLYBOY BBQ	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	27	17	1	5	179.4400	150.2856	169.17	top 30%
Pork Ribs	27	13	2	4	178.8572	158.2856	166.93	top 34%
Pork	27	16	3	7	178.8572	151.9996	168.98	top 28%
Brisket	27	16	6	9	177.7028	146.8228	166.13	top 32%

“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
CO	18	4	top 19%
NE	3	0	top 15%
TN	2	0	top 40%
MO	2	0	top 44%
MN	1	0	top 41%
NV	1	0	top 70%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	1	top 6%
Medium (20–39)	18	3	top 24%
Large (40+)	8	0	top 28%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer and BBQ Fest	2	2	top 13%	2017-07-21
National Western BBQ Throwdown	2	4	top 17%	2017-01-06
Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge	2	2	top 6%	2015-08-14

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 4.3 yrs 2013-03-29 → 2017-07-21

Busiest season 2013 15 contests · 3 GCs

Contests a season 5.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in CO 18 of 27 contests · 6 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 24 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 27 entries · 1 win · 17 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 169.17 · weakest Brisket (166.13)

Walk rate 85% a top-10 call in 23 of 27 contests

Overall top-10 rate 70% 19 of 27 contests

Wins it all 15% 4 Grand Championships · 3 reserve

First title 2013-03-29 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

Best top-10 run 9 straight contests

Master average 671.21 out of 720 · 27 contests · 4 GCs

Opponents faced 997 1,102–531 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 7,792 27 mapped stops · furthest 1,060 mi

Schedule strength 1539 average field rating faced — tougher than 29% of rated contests

Power rating 1677 peak 1677 · #501 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Mar 29 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 First overall podium Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 First Grand Championship Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 First overall past 90% of a perfect score668.5712 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 Biggest field won (30 teams) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Apr 19 First category win (Brisket) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)
Jun 21 First multi-meat day South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition
Jun 21 Career-best overall score693.7140 South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition
Aug 16 First Reserve Championship Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge
Aug 30 10th tracked contest Smokin' Brew BBQ
2015
Jul 24 10th category win Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer & BBQ Fest
2017
Jan 6 Career-best single call (Chicken)179.4400 National Western BBQ Throwdown
Jun 9 25th tracked contest Buskers, Brews & BBQ
Jul 21 Peak power rating (1677) Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer and BBQ Fest
Jul 21 Most recent contest Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer and BBQ Fest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.1	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2013-03-29
+13.7	South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition	2013-06-21
+13.6	Pony Express BBQ Challenge	2013-04-26
+13.6	North Platte Honky Tonk Barbecue Festival	2013-05-03
+12.9	San Luis Valley Beat the Heat Brews, Barbecue & Chili Challenge	2013-09-06

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2013-04-19
-4.6	Buskers, Brews & BBQ	2017-06-09
-3.4	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open	2013-10-03
-0.3	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off	2013-09-13

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)
2017	4	0	3	1	100%	top 31%	94%	92.6%
2016	1	0	1	1	100%	top 6%	95.1%	95.1%
2015	5	1	4	2	80%	top 18%	96.3%	94.4%
2014	2	0	1	1	100%	top 46%	95.5%	94.4%
2013	15	3	10	7	80%	top 23%	96.3%	92.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2017-07-21	Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer and BBQ Fest Arvada, CO	9 / 46 (676.4800)	5 (174.8572)	20 (165.1200)	22 (167.3944)	6 (169.1084)
2017-06-16	Central Plains Ribfest Holdrege, NE	8 / 27 (663.8856)	1 (175.4172)	14 (162.2400)	5 (171.9772)	16 (154.2512)
2017-06-09	Buskers, Brews & BBQ Aurora, CO	13 / 26 (658.6740)	6 (173.1084)	5 (169.1200)	14 (161.6572)	19 (154.7884)
2017-01-06	National Western BBQ Throwdown Denver, CO	9 / 38 (669.0168)	2 (179.4400)	20 (163.9428)	5 (172.5484)	33 (153.0856)
2016-07-22	Arvada On-Tap A Craft Beer and BBQ Fest Arvada, CO	2 / 35 (684.5140)	5 (173.1200)	16 (166.2512)	5 (170.8800)	1 (174.2628)
2015-10-23	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	38 / 93 (672.6288)	11 (176.5828)	57 (165.7372)	68 (163.4288)	48 (166.8800)
2015-08-14	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	2 / 31 (683.3368)	8 (170.8228)	4 (173.7028)	3 (171.4056)	8 (167.4056)
2015-07-24	Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer & BBQ Fest Arvada, CO	1 / 26 (693.0744)	10 (170.8228)	3 (172.5716)	1 (174.2628)	1 (175.4172)
2015-04-17	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Fort Collins, CO	8 / 30 (658.2052)	4 (168.5256)	15 (161.7028)	15 (161.7028)	11 (166.2740)
2015-01-09	National Western BBQ Throwdown Denver, CO	4 / 40 (690.8000)	4 (176.5828)	8 (170.8228)	4 (173.7144)	9 (169.6800)
2014-07-25	Colorado Rockies Invitational BBQ Championship (Competitor's Series) unrated Denver, CO	15 / 20 (687.3372)	14 (171.9772)	18 (166.2400)	13 (171.4172)	1 (177.7028)
2014-04-18	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Denver, CO	5 / 30 (671.3712)	6 (170.2744)	17 (161.7028)	11 (166.2284)	3 (173.1656)
2013-10-25	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN	37 / 97 (663.9084)	48 (165.1200)	43 (166.8228)	49 (165.0856)	37 (166.8800)
2013-10-03	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	259 / 535 (639.3252)	198 (164.5256)	231 (160.5712)	117 (167.4056)	442 (146.8228)
2013-10-03	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	70 / 174 (666.2744)	72 (167.9656)	66 (166.2860)	31 (171.4400)	118 (160.5828)
2013-09-13	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off Worthington, MN	16 / 39 (668.4912)	17 (169.1084)	4 (173.7372)	5 (173.7028)	35 (151.9428)
2013-09-06	San Luis Valley Beat the Heat Brews, Barbecue & Chili Challenge Alamosa, CO	1 / 17 (690.8340)	3 (170.2856)	2 (172.5600)	1 (178.8572)	3 (169.1312)
2013-08-30	Smokin' Brew BBQ Parker, CO	9 / 53 (676.5944)	2 (176.5828)	27 (163.4172)	8 (170.2744)	13 (166.3200)
2013-08-16	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	2 / 33 (678.2744)	9 (167.9884)	1 (173.7372)	3 (173.1200)	9 (163.4288)
2013-06-21	South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition Fairplay, CO	1 / 23 (693.7140)	2 (173.7142)	1 (178.8572)	10 (168.5712)	1 (172.5714)
2013-06-07	Boats, Bands and BBQ Pueblo, CO	4 / 39 (675.9996)	20 (162.8568)	16 (164.0000)	5 (173.7142)	2 (175.4286)
2013-05-31	Royal Gorge Holy Smoke BBQ Showdown Canon City, CO	6 / 33 (652.5714)	9 (167.4288)	16 (158.2856)	16 (159.4284)	5 (167.4286)
2013-05-10	Wild West BBQ Lamar, CO	10 / 31 (646.2854)	18 (161.1426)	8 (164.0002)	5 (163.9998)	16 (157.1428)
2013-05-03	North Platte Honky Tonk Barbecue Festival North Platte, NE	3 / 38 (685.1428)	10 (164.5714)	9 (168.0000)	3 (176.0000)	1 (176.5714)
2013-04-26	Pony Express BBQ Challenge Gothenburg, NE	4 / 47 (669.7138)	25 (157.1424)	5 (168.5716)	1 (173.1428)	6 (170.8570)
2013-04-19	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV	21 / 30 (637.7140)	30 (150.2856)	9 (162.8572)	30 (151.9996)	1 (172.5716)
2013-03-29	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Thornton, CO	1 / 30 (668.5712)	6 (167.4284)	6 (166.2856)	2 (169.1430)	8 (165.7142)

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
2017 ↗	Master	#1602 (145 pts)	#1219 (260 pts)	#2155 (85 pts)	#1462 (185 pts)	#2266 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1161 (260 pts)	#1508 (185 pts)	#2109 (105 pts)	#1536 (185 pts)	#1142 (285 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#425 (892 pts)	#560 (692 pts)	#557 (692 pts)	#476 (822 pts)	#535 (697 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1454 (180 pts)	#1579 (170 pts)	#2048 (95 pts)	#1908 (125 pts)	#1288 (230 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#62 (2216 pts)	#117 (1618 pts)	#71 (1890 pts)	#42 (2142 pts)	#93 (1941 pts)