SWINESTONE COWBOYS

SWINESTONE COWBOYS is a competition barbecue team with 27 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2017. They have won 4 Grand Championships, most recently at the Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer & BBQ Fest (2015), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 3 times. They are ranked #499 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#499

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1677

peak 1677 · rated over 24 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 29, 2013

latest Jul 21, 2017 · 4.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#62

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

3 reserve · wins it all 15% of the time

Category wins

25 podiums

Overall top-10s

70% of 27 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

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

Best single call

179.4400

Chicken · National Western BBQ Throwdown

Consistency

±15.21

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.17 · weakest Brisket (166.13)

Road miles

7,792

across 27 mapped stops · furthest 1,060 mi

Schedule strength

29%

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

Master avg

671.21 / 720

27 Master contests · 4 GCs

Storylines (18 found in their record)

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

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 (Jul 22, 2016).

Among the elite

#499 of 6,491 rated teams

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

A power rating of 1677 puts them #499 of 6,491 rated teams — the top 8% of the field.

rating 1677
peak 1677
24 rated contests

Against the odds

23-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 77 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer & BBQ Fest (Jul 24, 2015) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 23-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.

Mar 29, 2013

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 (Jul 24, 2015).

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.

Show 11 more storylines

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
Jun 21, 2013

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 (Mar 29, 2013).

Mar 29, 2013
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

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
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 (2,216 pts)	#117 (1,618 pts)	#71 (1,890 pts)	#42 (2,142 pts)	#93 (1,941 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SWINESTONE COWBOYS, each with one reason worth a look.

Sweet Cheeks BBQ

#501 of the rated field

1677 power rating

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

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 24 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 24 contests
last seen May 14, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

WINK'S BARBEQUE

#498 of the rated field

1677 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1731

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 44 contests to 27.

rated over 42 contests
last seen Jul 12, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

WHITEWATER BBQ COMPANY

#497 of the rated field

1677 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1695

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 43 contests, alongside a 47% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 43 contests
last seen Sep 2, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

BBQ Pit Bros

#500 of the rated field

1677 power rating

Contests: 59
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1692

They turned up 8 years after SWINESTONE COWBOYS did, first appearing in 2021.

rated over 55 contests
last seen Oct 16, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company

#502 of the rated field

1676 power rating

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

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

rated over 94 contests
last seen Aug 1, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

RUNNING STYLE BBQ - GA

#505 of the rated field

1675 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 83%
Peak: 1686

Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 27, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 23 contests
last seen May 29, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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
G "QUE"	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS	13	7	6	54%	⚔ 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 field size and state

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%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

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%

Repeat visits (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%	Jul 21, 2017
National Western BBQ Throwdown	2	4	top 17%	Jan 6, 2017
Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge	2	2	top 6%	Aug 14, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 15 contests · 3 GCs

Contests a season 5.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CO 18 of 27 contests · 6 states in all

Contests visited 24 3 of them more than once

First title Mar 29, 2013 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

Opponents faced 985 finished ahead 1,102 times, behind 531

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

20174 milestones

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

20151 milestone

Jul 24 10th category win Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer & BBQ Fest

201312 milestones

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.1	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Mar 29, 2013
+13.7	South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition	Jun 21, 2013
+13.6	Pony Express BBQ Challenge	Apr 26, 2013
+13.6	North Platte Honky Tonk Barbecue Festival	May 3, 2013
+12.9	San Luis Valley Beat the Heat Brews, Barbecue & Chili Challenge	Sep 6, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	Apr 19, 2013
-4.6	Buskers, Brews & BBQ	Jun 9, 2017
-3.3	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open	Oct 3, 2013
-0.3	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off	Sep 13, 2013

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)
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
Jul 21, 2017	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)
Jun 16, 2017	Central Plains Ribfest Holdrege, NE	8 / 27 (663.8856)	1 (175.4172)	14 (162.2400)	5 (171.9772)	16 (154.2512)
Jun 9, 2017	Buskers, Brews & BBQ Aurora, CO	13 / 26 (658.6740)	6 (173.1084)	5 (169.1200)	14 (161.6572)	19 (154.7884)
Jan 6, 2017	National Western BBQ Throwdown Denver, CO	9 / 38 (669.0168)	2 (179.4400)	20 (163.9428)	5 (172.5484)	33 (153.0856)
Jul 22, 2016	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)
Oct 23, 2015	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)
Aug 14, 2015	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	2 / 31 (683.3368)	8 (170.8228)	4 (173.7028)	3 (171.4056)	8 (167.4056)
Jul 24, 2015	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)
Apr 17, 2015	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)
Jan 9, 2015	National Western BBQ Throwdown Denver, CO	4 / 40 (690.8000)	4 (176.5828)	8 (170.8228)	4 (173.7144)	9 (169.6800)
Jul 25, 2014	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)
Apr 18, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Denver, CO	5 / 30 (671.3712)	6 (170.2744)	17 (161.7028)	11 (166.2284)	3 (173.1656)
Oct 25, 2013	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)
Oct 3, 2013	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)
Oct 3, 2013	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)
Sep 13, 2013	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off Worthington, MN	16 / 39 (668.4912)	17 (169.1084)	4 (173.7372)	5 (173.7028)	35 (151.9428)
Sep 6, 2013	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)
Aug 30, 2013	Smokin' Brew BBQ Parker, CO	9 / 53 (676.5944)	2 (176.5828)	27 (163.4172)	8 (170.2744)	13 (166.3200)
Aug 16, 2013	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	2 / 33 (678.2744)	9 (167.9884)	1 (173.7372)	3 (173.1200)	9 (163.4288)
Jun 21, 2013	South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition Fairplay, CO	1 / 23 (693.7140)	2 (173.7142)	1 (178.8572)	10 (168.5712)	1 (172.5714)
Jun 7, 2013	Boats, Bands and BBQ Pueblo, CO	4 / 39 (675.9996)	20 (162.8568)	16 (164)	5 (173.7142)	2 (175.4286)
May 31, 2013	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)
May 10, 2013	Wild West BBQ Lamar, CO	10 / 31 (646.2854)	18 (161.1426)	8 (164.0002)	5 (163.9998)	16 (157.1428)
May 3, 2013	North Platte Honky Tonk Barbecue Festival North Platte, NE	3 / 38 (685.1428)	10 (164.5714)	9 (168)	3 (176)	1 (176.5714)
Apr 26, 2013	Pony Express BBQ Challenge Gothenburg, NE	4 / 47 (669.7138)	25 (157.1424)	5 (168.5716)	1 (173.1428)	6 (170.8570)
Apr 19, 2013	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)
Mar 29, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Thornton, CO	1 / 30 (668.5712)	6 (167.4284)	6 (166.2856)	2 (169.1430)	8 (165.7142)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

SWINESTONE COWBOYS

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (18 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Among the elite

Against the odds

Giant slayer

Happy hunting ground

Multi-meat days

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Announced themselves early

Looking over their shoulder

An August team

The long haul

The metronome

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)