They almost always walk
88%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 15 of 17 contests
A top-10 category call in 88% of their 17 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
Panther BBQ
Panther BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 17 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2022 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard) (2023). They are ranked #2416 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1523
peak 1536 · rated over 17 contests
Contests
17
in the data
First seen
Sep 3, 2022
latest Sep 25, 2026 · 4.1 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
0 reserve · wins it all 6% of the time
Category wins
1
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
47% of 17 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 44%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
670.99 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 668.76 (+2.23)
Walk rate
88%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±13.34
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 170.08 · weakest Brisket (161.80)
Road miles
3,793
across 17 mapped stops · furthest 753 mi
Schedule strength
25%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1534)
Purse competed for
$27K
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 2 state-championship entries
Master avg
668.76 / 720
15 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
335.96 / 360
2 Backyard contests · 1 GC
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #418 (452 pts) | #459 (457 pts) | #463 (487 pts) | #386 (527 pts) | #404 (502 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #346 (624 pts) | #380 (609 pts) | #306 (844 pts) | #299 (774 pts) | #360 (629 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #562 (312 pts) | #700 (247 pts) | #517 (457 pts) | #610 (297 pts) | #658 (262 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #209 (206 pts) | #181 (256 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #609 (267 pts) | #695 (247 pts) | #527 (427 pts) | #501 (407 pts) | #836 (177 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #169 (208 pts) | #222 (158 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Panther BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
100 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,405 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1523
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Panther BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Panther BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,428 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 12%
- Peak
- 1526
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 17 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,409 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1558
Careers of much the same size, 17 contests to 17, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,403 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1540
21 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 14% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,421 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1523
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Panther BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,407 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1535
Level with Panther BBQ 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROKER Q | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| MOTLEY QUE | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| Kreiser Barbecue | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| SMELLAQUE | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Mark's Meats and Treats | 10 | 9 | 1 | 90% | ⚔ compare |
| HOME COOKIN' BBQ | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Fire BBQ | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' OUTLAWS | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Q Cartel | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Rack Addicts BBQ Team | 9 | 8 | 1 | 89% | ⚔ compare |
| Mc Que It | 9 | 6 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Hogparts School of Smokecraft and Brew'ery | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Bad to the Brisket | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| DIDY SMOKE IT | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Homestead Smoke Shack | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 17 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 175.4056 | 157.6684 | 167.30 | top 52% |
| Pork Ribs | 17 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 174.8572 | 155.3944 | 169.47 | top 34% |
| Pork | 15 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 174.8456 | 164.5256 | 170.08 | top 39% |
| Brisket | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 175.4172 | 139.3944 | 161.80 | top 59% |
“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) | 5 | 1 | top 40% |
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 0 | top 45% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 55% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbeque on the Bow Festival | 4 | 8 | 0 | top 34% | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Small Town Smoke Down | 3 | 8 | 0 | top 52% | May 30, 2026 |
| Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship | 2 | 20 | 0 | top 67% | May 24, 2025 |
| Didsbury Lions BBQ | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 44% | Jul 27, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
5 contests
Contests a season
3.4
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
AB
15 of 17 contests · 3 states and provinces in all
Contests visited
10
4 of them more than once
First title
Jul 20, 2023
Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard)
Opponents faced
184
finished ahead 240 times, behind 235
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Sound
20253 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Small Town Smoke Down
- Career-best single call (Brisket)175.4172 Barbeque on the Bow Festival
- Career-best overall score685.7032 Big Smoke Bonnyville
20234 milestones
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard)
- First overall podium Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard)
- First Grand Championship Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard)
- Peak power rating (1536) Didsbury Lions BBQ
20224 milestones
- First tracked contest Barbeque on the Bow
- First call Barbeque on the Bow
- First overall top-10 Barbeque on the Bow
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score331.9428 Barbeque on the Bow
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.6 | Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard) | Jul 20, 2023 |
| +10.8 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival | Aug 31, 2024 |
| +10.5 | Barbeque on the Bow | Sep 3, 2022 |
| +9.7 | Didsbury Lions BBQ | Aug 5, 2023 |
| +5.9 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival | Aug 30, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -14.3 | Small Town Smoke Down | Jun 8, 2024 |
| -10.7 | Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship | May 24, 2025 |
| -6.6 | Big Smoke Bonnyville | Sep 6, 2025 |
| -6.2 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival | Sep 2, 2023 |
| -3.6 | Didsbury Lions BBQ | Jul 27, 2024 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 50% | 94.1% | 93.6% |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 100% | top 46% | 95.2% | 92.9% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 54% | 95.2% | 92.3% |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 100% | top 32% | 94.4% | 93.3% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 14% | 92.2% | 92.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2026 | Smoke on the Sound 🏅 Redmond, WA | 11 / 17 (664.4112) | 9 (170.2512) | 5 (171.9772) | 7 (167.4056) | 14 (154.7772) |
| Sep 4, 2026 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 12 / 33 (677.5884) | 26 (162.8228) | 7 (171.9772) | 18 (168.5256) | 6 (174.2628) |
| May 30, 2026 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 11 / 24 (674.8112) | 15 (167.9772) | 19 (164.5484) | 9 (173.7028) | 5 (168.5828) |
| May 23, 2026 | BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay 🏅 North Bend, OR | 17 / 33 (677.5996) | 6 (175.4056) | 21 (169.1084) | 8 (174.8456) | 28 (158.2400) |
| Oct 11, 2025 | Bean Town BBQ Cookoff Bow Island, AB | 7 / 15 (660.5372) | 9 (165.6800) | 2 (171.4400) | 5 (166.8456) | 11 (156.5716) |
| Sep 6, 2025 | Big Smoke Bonnyville Bonnyville, AB | 7 / 15 (685.7032) | 2 (174.2856) | 4 (173.7144) | 2 (173.7372) | 11 (163.9660) |
| Aug 30, 2025 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 8 / 38 (681.6572) | 19 (168.5600) | 4 (173.1544) | 30 (164.5256) | 2 (175.4172) |
| May 31, 2025 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 8 / 25 (169.6800) | 16 (166.8340) | 8 (173.7028) | 5 (174.8456) | 17 (162.2628) |
| May 24, 2025 | Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship Calmar, AB | 28 / 34 (636.9944) | 28 (159.3828) | 29 (155.3944) | 10 (167.9656) | 29 (154.2516) |
| Aug 31, 2024 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 8 / 35 (685.1088) | 12 (171.4172) | 9 (172.5828) | 13 (170.2628) | 13 (170.8460) |
| Jul 27, 2024 | Didsbury Lions BBQ Didsbury, AB | 18 / 28 (662.8000) | 15 (166.2856) | 22 (162.2628) | 18 (166.2744) | 12 (167.9772) |
| Jun 8, 2024 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 21 / 27 (652.4340) | 23 (157.6684) | 4 (172.5600) | 18 (166.2628) | 24 (155.9428) |
| May 25, 2024 | Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship Calmar, AB | 20 / 39 (658.2400) | 35 (159.9428) | 15 (166.2972) | 19 (167.4400) | 20 (164.5600) |
| Sep 2, 2023 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 22 / 40 (658.8000) | 13 (170.2856) | 4 (174.8572) | 7 (174.2628) | 40 (139.3944) |
| Aug 5, 2023 | Didsbury Lions BBQ Didsbury, AB | 4 / 17 (677.0624) | 9 (169.1084) | 3 (173.7028) | 2 (174.2972) | 10 (159.9540) |
| Jul 20, 2023 | Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard) Raymond, AB | 1 / 6 (339.9772) | 3 (167.9772) | 1 (172) | — | — |
| Sep 3, 2022 | Barbeque on the Bow Calgary, AB | 5 / 36 (331.9428) | 3 (170.2856) | 5 (161.6572) | — | — |