MUSTANG SALLY BBQ

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

Power ranking

#416

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1693

peak 1696 · rated over 35 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-31

latest 2019-09-13

Best ToY finish

#192

Master 2014

Grand champs

4 reserve

Category wins

23 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 37 contests

Avg finish

top 27%

overall standings

Best overall

700.5944 / 720

Master · KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-Off

Perfect 180s

Current form

678.91 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 660.78 (+18.13)

Walk rate

81%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

179.4400

Chicken · KTD Smokin ' Gobbler Cook-Off

Consistency

±83.34

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 170.26 · weakest Brisket (165.93)

Road miles

6,095

mi across 37 mapped stops · furthest 452 mi

Schedule strength

40%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1552)

Purse competed for

$33K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

660.78 / 720

37 Master contests · 3 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (19 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

1.1084 points from the title

Came within 1.1084 points of the Grand Championship at Original SD BBQ Championship (2019-05-31).

Among the elite

#416 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 6% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1693 puts them #416 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 6% of the field.

rating 1693
peak 1696
35 rated contests

Against the odds

22-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 78 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Great Northern BBQ (2014-08-08) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 22-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, PARROTHEAD SMOKERS.

Giant slayer

38 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 38-team field at Cookin' on Kampeska.

2015-07-17

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championships here

Cookin' on Kampeska is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 3 visits.

3 visits
best finish 1st
average top 8%

They almost always walk

81% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 30 of 37 contests

A top-10 category call in 81% of their 37 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

700.5944 career-best overall

97.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 700.5944 at KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-Off — 97.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
2015-09-18

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

QUETOPIA has finished one call ahead of MUSTANG SALLY BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 2 Grand Championships

2015 was the year it came together: 8 contests, 2 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 19%.

8 contests
4 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 19%

A tough matchup

20–6 behind in the head-to-head

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead in 77% of their meetings

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 20 of their 26 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.33 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 41% of the time against 49%.

Brisket avg 165.93
Chicken avg 170.26
15 calls in 37 entries

The drought

20 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-Off on 2015-09-18 — 20 contests and 11 years ago.

last GC 2015-09-18
11 years ago

A strong matchup

20–5 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS in 20 of their 25 shared contests.

The comeback

1.5 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.5 years, then back at Minnesota in May (2018-05-11).

last seen 2016-10-29
back 2018-05-11

Always the bridesmaid

4 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 4 times against 3 Grand Championships — close enough to touch it, over and over.

3 Grand Championships
37 contests

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

SPITFIRE has landed one call behind them 3 times.

Boom or bust

±11.58% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±11.58% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 91.8% of a perfect score
best 97.3%

A July team

Top 17% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 17% across 6 contests, versus top 27% the rest of the year.

6 July contests
top 27% the rest of the year

The long haul

6,095 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,095 miles across 37 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 452 miles to Great Northern BBQ.

37 mapped stops
furthest 452 mi

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.

IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ

#417 of the rated field

1693 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 63
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 49%
Peak: 1731

2–4 in 6 shared contests (33% to MUSTANG SALLY BBQ)

These two have cooked 6 of the same contests — IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ ahead 4–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 62 contests
last seen 2016-08-05

⚔ Head-to-head

Ash Kickin' BBQ

#415 of the rated field

1693 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 40
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1709

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 40 contests to 37, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 38 contests
last seen 2026-05-08

⚔ Head-to-head

Jury's Out

#419 of the rated field

1693 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 34
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 62%
Peak: 1694

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 32 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 32 contests
last seen 2026-06-12

⚔ Head-to-head

Texas Smoke Whisper

#420 of the rated field

1693 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1693

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 26 contests, alongside a 50% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 26 contests
last seen 2020-11-21

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ

#421 of the rated field

1693 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 55
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 49%
Peak: 1713

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 53 contests
last seen 2020-09-18

⚔ Head-to-head

ZIPS BBQ

#418 of the rated field

1693 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 73
GCs: 7
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1709

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 66 contests
last seen 2026-08-07

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SPITFIRE	32	15	17	47%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	26	6	20	23%	⚔ compare
SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS	25	20	5	80%	⚔ compare
Eggspert BBQ	24	15	9	63%	⚔ compare
ROLLIN' SMOKE BBQ SD	21	17	4	81%	⚔ compare
CITY SLICKERS BBQ	20	7	13	35%	⚔ compare
Hogline	19	6	13	32%	⚔ compare
QUETOPIA	18	7	11	39%	⚔ compare
SIN CIRCLE BBQ	17	10	7	59%	⚔ compare
Pigtamer BBQ	16	14	2	88%	⚔ compare
TRUE SMOKE BBQ	16	12	4	75%	⚔ compare
SONS OF BUTCHERS	16	6	10	38%	⚔ compare
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
MYASSIS SMOKIN	14	14	0	100%	⚔ compare
BIG J'S SMOKEHOUSE	14	13	1	93%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	37	18	1	7	179.4400	159.9888	170.26	top 32%
Pork Ribs	37	18	2	7	177.1544	126.2866	168.26	top 33%
Pork	37	22	2	7	178.8572	158.2516	169.81	top 29%
Brisket	37	15	1	2	178.2972	154.2400	165.93	top 43%

“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
MN	22	2	top 27%
SD	11	1	top 23%
KS	2	0	top 46%
MO	2	0	top 28%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	19	3	top 25%
Large (40+)	18	0	top 28%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-Off	4	1	1	top 13%	2019-09-13
Cookin' on Kampeska	3	1	1	top 8%	2016-07-15
SMSU Smokefest	3	12	0	top 46%	2019-08-16
Original SD BBQ Championships	3	3	0	top 32%	2016-06-03
Smokefest	3	4	0	top 27%	2015-08-21
Minnesota in May	2	19	0	top 31%	2018-05-11
37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN)	2	100	0	top 46%	2016-10-29
Minnesota in May	2	4	0	top 7%	2016-05-13
The Madelia Blazin' Barbeque Blast	2	4	0	top 26%	2014-07-11

The story so far (20 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6.3 yrs 2013-05-31 → 2019-09-13

Busiest season 2016 10 contests

Contests a season 6.2 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MN 22 of 37 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 22 9 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 37 entries · 1 win · 18 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 170.26 · weakest Brisket (165.93)

Walk rate 81% a top-10 call in 30 of 37 contests

Overall top-10 rate 57% 21 of 37 contests

Wins it all 8% 3 Grand Championships · 4 reserve

First title 2014-08-08 Great Northern BBQ

Best top-10 run 8 straight contests

Master average 660.78 out of 720 · 37 contests · 3 GCs

Opponents faced 1,180 1,815–931 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 6,095 37 mapped stops · furthest 452 mi

Schedule strength 1552 average field rating faced — tougher than 40% of rated contests

Purse competed for $33,250 listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 3 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.5 yrs 2016-10-29 → 2018-05-11

Power rating 1693 peak 1696 · #416 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 31 First tracked contest Original SD BBQ Championships
May 31 First call Original SD BBQ Championships
Jul 12 First overall top-10 The Madelia Blazin' Barbeque Blast
Jul 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score677.0972 The Madelia Blazin' Barbeque Blast
2014
Jun 6 First category win (Pork) SD BBQ Championships
Jun 6 First overall podium SD BBQ Championships
Aug 8 First Grand Championship Great Northern BBQ
Sep 5 10th tracked contest Ribs, Rods & Rock 'n Roll
2015
Jun 12 First Reserve Championship Bend of the River CookOut
Jul 17 Biggest field won (38 teams) Cookin' on Kampeska
Sep 18 Career-best overall score700.5944 KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-Off
2016
Jul 15 25th tracked contest Cookin' on Kampeska
2018
Sep 14 Career-best single call (Chicken)179.4400 KTD Smokin ' Gobbler Cook-Off
2019
May 31 Peak power rating (1696) Original SD BBQ Championship
Sep 13 Most recent contest KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.4	Great Northern BBQ	2014-08-08
+14.8	SD BBQ Championships	2014-06-06
+14.3	Minnesota in May	2014-05-16
+12.9	The Madelia Blazin' Barbeque Blast	2013-07-12
+12.8	Bend of the River CookOut	2015-06-12

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.8	*Mankato Cookout Day 2 and( Back Yard)	2016-06-11
-11.5	SMSU Smokefest	2019-08-16
-10.1	Original SD BBQ Championships	2013-05-31
-3.6	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open	2015-10-03
-2.5	Ribs, Rods & Rock 'n Roll	2014-09-05

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)
2019	3	0	2	1	67%	top 30%	95.6%	93.8%
2018	5	0	1	2	80%	top 26%	96%	93.9%
2016	10	0	5	1	70%	top 33%	95.8%	93.7%
2015	8	2	4	0	75%	top 19%	97.3%	85.6%
2014	8	1	7	2	100%	top 19%	97.2%	93.9%
2013	3	0	2	0	100%	top 43%	94%	90.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-09-13	KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-Off 🏅 Worthington, MN	2 / 26 (684.4912)	4 (174.8456)	1 (176.5716)	5 (171.9656)	14 (161.1084)
2019-08-16	SMSU Smokefest 🏅 MARSHALL, MN	35 / 46 (653.0516)	26 (168.5484)	26 (166.8688)	34 (161.6456)	39 (155.9888)
2019-05-31	Original SD BBQ Championship 🏅 Huron, SD	2 / 37 (688.5372)	13 (169.7028)	3 (175.4516)	16 (169.6684)	4 (173.7144)
2018-09-14	KTD Smokin ' Gobbler Cook-Off Worthington, MN	2 / 25 (691.4172)	1 (179.4400)	9 (170.8572)	4 (174.2972)	12 (166.8228)
2018-08-17	SMSU Smokefest Marshall, MN	12 / 40 (677.0512)	16 (169.7028)	10 (169.1200)	2 (175.4056)	25 (162.8228)
2018-07-20	*Cookin On Kampeska Watertown, SD	12 / 45 (674.7656)	13 (171.9772)	17 (166.8228)	21 (166.2628)	11 (169.7028)
2018-06-01	*The Original SD BBQ Championships Huron, SD	12 / 33 (665.6112)	3 (174.2856)	1 (174.8572)	26 (159.3828)	24 (157.0856)
2018-05-11	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	19 / 70 (671.3488)	50 (162.2400)	7 (173.1316)	6 (176.0000)	48 (159.9772)
2016-10-29	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS	200 / 557 (663.3600)	209 (166.8572)	26 (174.8800)	211 (167.3828)	408 (154.2400)
2016-10-28	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS	100 / 180 (675.4056)	30 (175.4172)	96 (168.0000)	19 (174.3200)	169 (157.6684)
2016-09-16	KTD Smokin ' Gobbler Cook-Off Worthington, MN	9 / 29 (674.2400)	9 (170.8228)	18 (163.4172)	4 (172.5828)	12 (167.4172)
2016-08-19	SMSU Smokefest Marshall, MN	12 / 37 (671.9428)	8 (172.0000)	2 (176.5600)	24 (160.5828)	18 (162.8000)
2016-07-15	Cookin' on Kampeska Watertown, SD	3 / 41 (689.0740)	6 (175.4056)	5 (173.1428)	6 (171.4056)	13 (169.1200)
2016-06-24	Smoke on the Waterfall Redwoodfalls, MN	9 / 26 (669.1088)	7 (171.4172)	10 (167.9772)	20 (159.4516)	6 (170.2628)
2016-06-11	*Mankato Cookout Day 2 and( Back Yard) Mankato, MN	27 / 32 (651.8972)	24 (167.9656)	26 (162.8572)	30 (158.2516)	20 (162.8228)
2016-06-10	*Mankato Cookout Day 1 Mankato, MN	13 / 33 (675.9888)	16 (170.8572)	14 (169.7144)	4 (173.1544)	22 (162.2628)
2016-06-03	Original SD BBQ Championships Huron, SD	3 / 44 (689.6800)	3 (174.8572)	23 (167.3828)	1 (178.8572)	10 (168.5828)
2016-05-13	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	4 / 71 (688.5600)	26 (166.8344)	2 (174.2628)	3 (175.4628)	10 (172.0000)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	167 / 606 (162.2284)	157 (169.1200)	407 (159.4172)	278 (164.5828)	90 (171.4284)
2015-10-02	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	54 / 187 (682.2744)	36 (174.2972)	42 (173.7372)	12 (176.0000)	172 (158.2400)
2015-09-18	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-Off Worthington, MN	1 / 26 (700.5944)	6 (174.2628)	4 (173.7372)	3 (174.2972)	2 (178.2972)
2015-08-21	Smokefest Marshall, MN	16 / 42 (666.7884)	24 (167.3828)	27 (163.4172)	8 (172.0000)	21 (163.9884)
2015-07-17	Cookin' on Kampeska Watertown, SD	1 / 38 (686.8344)	10 (169.1200)	6 (172.0000)	4 (172.0000)	4 (173.7144)
2015-06-12	Bend of the River CookOut Mankato, MN	2 / 42 (684.5832)	2 (176.5716)	19 (165.7372)	8 (169.1200)	7 (173.1544)
2015-06-05	Original SD BBQ Championships Huron, SD	3 / 41 (681.7600)	9 (169.7372)	14 (167.4172)	6 (169.7028)	4 (174.9028)
2015-05-15	Minnesota in May St. Paul, MN	21 / 60 (664.5372)	14 (169.1200)	19 (166.8572)	5 (173.1428)	50 (155.4172)
2014-09-12	King Turkey Day Smokin' Gobbler Cook-Off Worthington, MN	7 / 36 (678.1944)	10 (169.6800)	8 (167.9772)	3 (177.1544)	21 (163.3828)
2014-09-05	Ribs, Rods & Rock 'n Roll Vermillion, SD	14 / 26 (661.0056)	16 (162.2744)	13 (166.2400)	12 (165.1084)	10 (167.3828)
2014-08-15	Smokefest Marshall, MN	4 / 32 (681.1428)	2 (176.0116)	16 (164.5600)	2 (172.0228)	8 (168.5484)
2014-08-08	Great Northern BBQ Brainerd, MN	1 / 25 (700.0232)	2 (174.8572)	2 (177.1544)	9 (170.8572)	1 (177.1544)
2014-07-18	Cookin' on Kampeska Watertown, SD	4 / 31 (678.2288)	25 (159.9888)	3 (175.4056)	6 (172.0000)	4 (170.8344)
2014-07-11	The Madelia Blazin' Barbeque Blast Madelia, MN	9 / 26 (662.8344)	18 (162.2628)	5 (170.8800)	11 (167.4172)	15 (162.2744)
2014-06-06	SD BBQ Championships Huron, SD	3 / 42 (677.6572)	8 (170.2744)	19 (161.1428)	1 (178.8572)	8 (167.3828)
2014-05-16	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	5 / 58 (670.2172)	3 (174.2972)	4 (170.3088)	35 (161.6456)	27 (163.9656)
2013-08-16	Smokefest Marshall, MN	9 / 31 (659.4056)	20 (161.7028)	5 (168.5600)	16 (159.9656)	7 (169.1772)
2013-07-12	The Madelia Blazin' Barbeque Blast Madelia, MN	4 / 23 (677.0972)	6 (172.5944)	15 (162.8344)	4 (171.4056)	5 (170.2628)
2013-05-31	Original SD BBQ Championships Huron, SD	34 / 41 (614.2864)	20 (162.8572)	41 (126.2866)	7 (169.7142)	32 (155.4284)

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
2019 ↗	Master	#577 (571 pts)	#838 (381 pts)	#608 (571 pts)	#896 (341 pts)	#841 (376 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#678 (500 pts)	#712 (500 pts)	#902 (370 pts)	#682 (540 pts)	#987 (305 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#241 (1375 pts)	#278 (1205 pts)	#266 (1280 pts)	#195 (1455 pts)	#367 (1045 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#236 (1361 pts)	#366 (1006 pts)	#445 (851 pts)	#230 (1291 pts)	#317 (1096 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#192 (1538 pts)	#245 (1293 pts)	#233 (1348 pts)	#204 (1403 pts)	#296 (1178 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#759 (405 pts)	#954 (335 pts)	#910 (345 pts)	#710 (470 pts)	#794 (400 pts)