CURLY TAILS BBQ

CURLY TAILS BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 24 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2015. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA) (2014), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 3 times. They are ranked #548 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#548

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1669

peak 1669 · rated over 24 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 5, 2013

latest Oct 2, 2015 · 2.5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#74

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

3 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time

Category wins

21 podiums

Overall top-10s

63% of 24 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 23%

overall standings

Best overall

703.4172 / 720

Master · Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA)

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

685.17 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 680.35 (+4.81)

Walk rate

83%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Pork · Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA)

Consistency

±11.28

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 172.20 · weakest Pork Ribs (168.55)

Road miles

1,692

across 24 mapped stops · furthest 314 mi

Schedule strength

34%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1546)

Master avg

680.35 / 720

24 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (17 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

1.7140 points from the title

Came within 1.7140 points of the Grand Championship at Rock'n Ribville (Oct 10, 2014).

Among the elite

#548 of 6,491 rated teams

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

A power rating of 1669 puts them #548 of 6,491 rated teams — the top 8% of the field.

rating 1669
peak 1669
24 rated contests

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×1

Against the odds

34-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 66 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA) (Sep 27, 2014) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 34-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, OLD PLANTATION BBQ.

Giant slayer

34 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 34-team field at Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA).

Sep 27, 2014

Happy hunting ground

Top 11% average finish here

The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) is their spot: an average finish in the top 11% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 3rd
average top 11%

A multi-meat day

1 contest with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA) (Sep 27, 2014).

Pork 1st
Brisket 1st

Show 10 more storylines

They almost always walk

83% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 20 of 24 contests

A top-10 category call in 83% of their 24 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

703.4172 career-best overall

97.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 703.4172 at Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA) — 97.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 27, 2014

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

PIG WHISPERERS has finished one call ahead of CURLY TAILS BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

14–5 behind in the head-to-head

MOYERS COMPETITION BAR-B-Q TEAM ahead in 74% of their meetings

MOYERS COMPETITION BAR-B-Q TEAM has come out ahead in 14 of their 19 shared contests.

A strong matchup

18–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of CHOO CHOO TRAIN BBQ in 18 of their 18 shared contests.

Brisket nemesis

9 of 14 shared brisket entries lost

Bubba Q ahead 64% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Bubba Q has out-cooked them in 9 of 14 shared brisket entries.

Always the bridesmaid

3 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 3 times against 1 Grand Championship — close enough to touch it, over and over.

1 Grand Championship
24 contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A May team

Top 15% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 15% across 3 contests, versus top 23% the rest of the year.

3 May contests
top 23% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.57% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.57% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 94.5% of a perfect score
24 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
2014 ↗	Master	#200 (1,507 pts)	#279 (1,187 pts)	#323 (1,087 pts)	#164 (1,542 pts)	#179 (1,557 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#74 (2,131 pts)	#182 (1,356 pts)	#75 (1,870 pts)	#57 (1,985 pts)	#33 (2,275 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to CURLY TAILS BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

BROCK'S BBQ

#550 of the rated field

1669 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 75%
Peak: 1669

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 26 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 26 contests
last seen Sep 27, 2026
on a 7-contest top-10 run

⚔ Compare careers

Velvet Smoke

#545 of the rated field

1669 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 61%
Peak: 1691

Careers of much the same size, 28 contests to 24, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 27 contests
last seen May 15, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

JDQ BBQ

#551 of the rated field

1669 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 48%
Peak: 1674

Their rating is built on 4 Grand Championships in 25 contests, alongside a 48% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Dog Bite Barbecue

#546 of the rated field

1669 power rating

Contests: 50
GCs: 6
Top-10s: 62%
Peak: 1685

They turned up 8 years after CURLY TAILS BBQ did, first appearing in 2021.

rated over 48 contests
last seen Oct 9, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Westside BBQ

#549 of the rated field

1669 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 77%
Peak: 1675

33 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 52 contests
last seen Oct 18, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Q HAVEN BBQ

#543 of the rated field

1669 power rating

Contests: 59
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 58%
Peak: 1728

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

rated over 58 contests
last seen Jul 27, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MOYERS COMPETITION BAR-B-Q TEAM	19	5	14	26%	⚔ compare
CHOO CHOO TRAIN BBQ	18	18	0	100%	⚔ compare
TENACIOUS Q	18	14	4	78%	⚔ compare
DIGGIN QUE-GA	17	15	2	88%	⚔ compare
GEORGIA BOYS BBQ TEAM	14	10	4	71%	⚔ compare
Bubba Q	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
OLD PLANTATION BBQ	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
TEMPLAR TEMPTATIONS	13	11	2	85%	⚔ compare
UNCULTURED SWINE	13	9	4	69%	⚔ compare
UNCLE BUD'S BBQ	12	12	0	100%	⚔ compare
DEEP SOUTH BBQ	11	9	2	82%	⚔ compare
KUDZU Q	11	8	3	73%	⚔ compare
FOGGY BOTTOM BBQ	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	24	6	1	3	177.7144	150.2854	169.14	top 43%
Pork Ribs	24	10	2	5	175.4172	159.4286	168.55	top 37%
Pork	24	16	3	5	180 🔥	156.5710	170.45	top 27%
Brisket	24	15	4	8	179.4400	160.5712	172.20	top 22%

“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)	14	1	top 26%
Large (40+)	10	0	top 20%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
GA	22	1	top 22%
MS	1	0	top 77%
SC	1	0	top 4%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Calhoun KOA's	2	19	top 44%	Dec 5, 2014
The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA)	2	3	top 11%	Nov 21, 2014
Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic (SBBQA)	2	4	top 17%	Oct 18, 2014
Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival (GBC Qualifier)	2	3	top 18%	Aug 22, 2014
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	2	top 18%	May 30, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 14 contests

Contests a season 8 across 3 seasons in the data

Most contests held in GA 22 of 24 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 19 5 of them more than once

First title Sep 27, 2014 Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA)

Opponents faced 406 finished ahead 784 times, behind 199

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

20152 milestones

Oct 2 Peak power rating (1669) Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 1 (GBC Qualifier)
Oct 2 Most recent contest Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 1 (GBC Qualifier)

20146 milestones

Sep 27 First Grand Championship Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA)
Sep 27 First multi-meat day Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA)
Sep 27 First perfect 180 (Pork) Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA)
Sep 27 Biggest field won (34 teams) Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA)
Sep 27 Career-best overall score703.4172 Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA)
Oct 18 10th category win Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic (SBBQA)

20138 milestones

Apr 5 First tracked contest Smokin on the River Chattooga's BBQ Cook-Off (GBC Qualifier)
Apr 5 First call Smokin on the River Chattooga's BBQ Cook-Off (GBC Qualifier)
Apr 5 First overall past 90% of a perfect score664.5714 Smokin on the River Chattooga's BBQ Cook-Off (GBC Qualifier)
Apr 26 First overall top-10 BBQ Boogie & Blues
May 10 First overall podium Roman Roast on the River (GBC Qualifier)
May 17 First category win (Brisket) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Sep 28 First Reserve Championship Whole Hawg Happenin'
Sep 28 10th tracked contest Whole Hawg Happenin'

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.4	SC Festival of Discovery	Jul 11, 2013
+13.7	Roman Roast on the River (GBC Qualifier)	May 10, 2013
+13	Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival (GBC Qualifier)	Aug 23, 2013
+12.9	The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier)	Nov 15, 2013
+12.5	Whole Hawg Happenin'	Sep 28, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	Sep 5, 2014
-4	Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier)	Jun 7, 2013
-2	Calhoun KOA's	Dec 5, 2014

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)
2015	1	0	0	0	100%	top 29%	95.1%	95.1%
2014	9	1	4	4	67%	top 28%	97.7%	95.1%
2013	14	0	11	6	93%	top 20%	96.8%	94.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 2, 2015	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 1 (GBC Qualifier) Rome, GA	15 / 52 (685.0512)	27 (170.8344)	17 (170.8228)	20 (168.5484)	8 (174.8456)
Dec 5, 2014	Calhoun KOA's Calhoun, GA	19 / 38 (681.0748)	16 (171.9772)	19 (168.5832)	18 (170.8228)	18 (169.6916)
Nov 21, 2014	The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) Cumming, GA	15 / 86 (686.7656)	30 (171.9656)	42 (167.4172)	13 (174.2628)	18 (173.1200)
Nov 14, 2014	Smokin' Up The Saddle Club (SBBQA) Chatsworth, GA	14 / 34 (682.7312)	19 (171.9772)	21 (168.5256)	9 (171.9656)	14 (170.2628)
Oct 18, 2014	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic (SBBQA) Rome, GA	4 / 27 (690.2168)	17 (167.4056)	9 (171.4056)	1 (174.2628)	2 (177.1428)
Oct 10, 2014	Rock'n Ribville Lawrenceville, GA	2 / 20 (686.2172)	1 (176.5600)	6 (166.2744)	5 (170.8112)	4 (172.5716)
Sep 27, 2014	Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA) Marietta, GA	1 / 34 (703.4172)	3 (175.4400)	3 (173.1200)	1 (180)	1 (174.8572)
Sep 5, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Southaven, MS	23 / 30 (676.4800)	24 (165.0972)	21 (167.4056)	22 (167.3828)	4 (176.5944)
Aug 22, 2014	Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival (GBC Qualifier) Kennesaw, GA	14 / 45 (672.9944)	11 (170.8344)	22 (166.2400)	17 (168.5372)	20 (167.3828)
May 30, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Marietta, GA	2 / 29 (682.1940)	12 (167.9656)	8 (168.5600)	2 (171.9656)	4 (173.7028)
Dec 6, 2013	Calhoun KOA's (GBC Qualifier) Calhoun, GA	25 / 65 (678.1712)	22 (171.9656)	44 (163.9428)	5 (174.2972)	33 (167.9656)
Nov 15, 2013	The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier) Cumming, GA	3 / 79 (697.0972)	3 (177.7144)	44 (166.8228)	7 (173.1200)	1 (179.4400)
Oct 25, 2013	Hillbilly Hog BBQ Throwdown & Fall Leaf Festival (GBC Qualifier) Cleveland, GA	9 / 41 (674.7084)	27 (165.0856)	1 (174.2628)	30 (161.6572)	5 (173.7028)
Oct 12, 2013	Smoke-n-Thunder BBQ Classic Rome, GA	5 / 25 (689.6228)	13 (170.8228)	13 (170.8228)	7 (170.8228)	3 (177.1544)
Sep 28, 2013	Whole Hawg Happenin' Marietta, GA	2 / 30 (687.9084)	19 (169.1200)	2 (175.4172)	3 (174.2628)	11 (169.1084)
Sep 13, 2013	Jug Tavern Festival (GBC Qualifier) Winder, GA	4 / 43 (683.3140)	23 (166.8112)	13 (166.8228)	5 (171.9772)	1 (177.7028)
Aug 23, 2013	Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival (GBC Qualifier) Kennesaw, GA	3 / 54 (686.2172)	15 (169.1200)	1 (175.4172)	9 (169.6800)	5 (172)
Aug 16, 2013	Classic City BBQ Fest & Tailgate Show (GBC Qualifier) Athens, GA	5 / 34 (678.7312)	16 (167.3828)	2 (171.4172)	5 (171.9656)	14 (167.9656)
Jul 11, 2013	SC Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	3 / 78 (675.3144)	43 (161.0972)	25 (166.2400)	1 (174.2744)	3 (173.7028)
Jun 7, 2013	Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier) Euharlee, GA	24 / 39 (652.5708)	24 (165.1426)	29 (159.4286)	18 (167.4284)	25 (160.5712)
May 17, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Marietta, GA	8 / 28 (654.2850)	26 (150.2854)	9 (165.1428)	9 (164.5712)	1 (174.2856)
May 10, 2013	Roman Roast on the River (GBC Qualifier) Rome, GA	3 / 33 (682.2856)	4 (173.1430)	13 (165.1426)	5 (173.1430)	7 (170.8570)
Apr 26, 2013	BBQ Boogie & Blues Calhoun, GA	6 / 25 (676.5708)	7 (171.9998)	13 (164)	4 (168.5712)	2 (171.9998)
Apr 5, 2013	Smokin on the River Chattooga's BBQ Cook-Off (GBC Qualifier) Summerville, GA	15 / 41 (664.5714)	9 (169.7144)	8 (172.0004)	36 (156.5710)	16 (166.2856)

CURLY TAILS BBQ

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 (17 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Among the elite

Perfect scores on the board

Against the odds

Giant slayer

Happy hunting ground

A multi-meat day

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Brisket nemesis

Always the bridesmaid

Looking over their shoulder

A May team

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 — 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)