BBQ HIGHLANDER

BBQ HIGHLANDER is a competition barbecue team with 13 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2019. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees (2017). They are ranked #1625 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,625

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1557

peak 1557 · rated over 12 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 25, 2015

latest Sep 21, 2019 · 4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#708

Master 2019 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 8% of the time

Category wins

10 podiums

Overall top-10s

62% of 13 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s, still running

Avg finish

top 38%

overall standings

Best overall

683.3716 / 720

Master · KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees

Perfect 180s

Current form

635.68 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 647.99 (-12.32)

Walk rate

85%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7144

Pork · Brew N Q (INVITATIONAL)

Consistency

±39.96

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 167.15 · weakest Pork (156.26)

Road miles

1,772

across 13 mapped stops · furthest 347 mi

Schedule strength

28%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1538)

Master avg

647.99 / 720

13 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (12 found in their record)

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

Riding a hot streak

4 straight overall top-10s

Currently on a 4-contest overall top-10 run.

career best 4

Against the odds

18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 82 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees (Jun 10, 2017) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 18-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, BUNCH OF SWINES.

On the rise

+28 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 28 points across 4 contests since Sep 22, 2018 — from 1529 up to 1557.

4 contests since Sep 22, 2018
now 1557

Signature meat

25% pork entries won

3 wins from 12 entries

When pork is on the table, watch out — they've won it in 25% of their entries (3 of 12).

best 177.7144
average 156.26
7 calls

They almost always walk

85% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 11 of 13 contests

A top-10 category call in 85% of their 13 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

683.3716 career-best overall

94.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 683.3716 at KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees — 94.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 10, 2017

A tough matchup

9–2 behind in the head-to-head

SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ ahead in 82% of their meetings

SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ has come out ahead in 9 of their 11 shared contests.

Show 5 more storylines

The weak link

−10.9 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 10.89 points below their brisket, and turns into a call 58% of the time against 62%.

Pork avg 156.26
Brisket avg 167.15
7 calls in 12 entries

The drought

8 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees on Jun 10, 2017 — 8 contests and 9.4 years ago.

last GC Jun 10, 2017
9.4 years ago

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of THE SMOKIN' PORKETEERS in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

Brisket nemesis

8 of 10 shared brisket entries lost

BUNCH OF SWINES ahead 80% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BUNCH OF SWINES has out-cooked them in 8 of 10 shared brisket entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

FIRE, SMOKE & FLAVOR has landed one call behind them 2 times.

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
2019 ↗	Master	#708 (444 pts)	#1130 (234 pts)	#1050 (269 pts)	#606 (559 pts)	#436 (769 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1196 (204 pts)	#1030 (294 pts)	#1725 (119 pts)	#1295 (194 pts)	#1147 (244 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#891 (399 pts)	#1019 (369 pts)	#1023 (354 pts)	#1193 (274 pts)	#822 (469 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1385 (198 pts)	#1240 (263 pts)	#1322 (238 pts)	#1466 (208 pts)	#1767 (133 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

51 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

73-BBQ

#1,612 of the rated field

1557 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 54%
Peak: 1559

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jun 6, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

VOGT'S BBQ

#1,618 of the rated field

1557 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1557

Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Jun 7, 2019

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Mountain Smoke BBQ

#1,614 of the rated field

1557 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 55%
Peak: 1557

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

rated over 11 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

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PS I LOVE YOU BBQ

#1,611 of the rated field

1557 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1557

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 12 contests, alongside a 25% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Apr 10, 2026

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Wink's BBQ

#1,620 of the rated field

1557 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1557

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

rated over 14 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

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RENEGADE BBQ

#1,630 of the rated field

1557 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1557

They turned up 7 years after BBQ HIGHLANDER did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Oct 17, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ROKENDE REGAHS	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
BUNCH OF SWINES	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
DE FILOUS	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
DRAGON BBQ	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
BBQ WIESEL	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
IQ - NETHERLANDS	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
VIKING BBQ	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
BBQ+	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
FIRE, SMOKE & FLAVOR	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
White Squirrel BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
UNCLE TONY'S COCKNEY Q	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
SMOKE AND FIRE	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
TEAM BBQ SHOP LIMBURG	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
BONSAIS WILD BBQ	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	13	4	0	2	176	151.9544	163.49	top 51%
Pork Ribs	13	2	0	1	171.4172	146.8344	160.33	top 55%
Pork	12	7	3	3	177.7144	20	156.26	top 33%
Brisket	13	8	1	4	176	156.5144	167.15	top 30%

“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)	7	1	top 34%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 42%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
DE	1	0	top 72%
NR	1	0	top 32%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Brew N Q	2	5	0	top 60%	May 26, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 4 contests

Contests a season 2.6 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in DE 1 of 13 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 12 1 of them more than once

First title Jun 10, 2017 KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees

Opponents faced 247 finished ahead 341 times, behind 215

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

20192 milestones

Sep 21 Peak power rating (1557) Het BBQ Kampioenschap Van Het Waasland
Sep 21 Most recent contest Het BBQ Kampioenschap Van Het Waasland

20182 milestones

May 25 Career-best single call (Pork)177.7144 Brew N Q (INVITATIONAL)
Sep 22 10th tracked contest 5th Ruhrpott BBQ 2018

20173 milestones

Jun 10 First overall podium KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees
Jun 10 First Grand Championship KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees
Jun 10 Career-best overall score683.3716 KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees

20161 milestone

Aug 20 First overall top-10 EUregio Barbecue Festival

20154 milestones

Sep 25 First tracked contest 2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015
Sep 25 First call 2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015
Sep 25 First category win (Pork) 2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015
Sep 25 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.6116 2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.2	KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees	Jun 10, 2017
+13.2	5th Ruhrpott BBQ 2018	Sep 22, 2018
+12	Het BBQ Kampioenschap Van Het Waasland	Sep 21, 2019
+9.8	4th Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival	Jul 20, 2019
+8.1	KCBS Greek Fire Festival 2018	Apr 28, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.2	Brew N Q	May 26, 2018
-6.4	3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016	Sep 24, 2016
-5.5	4th Ruhrpott BBQ 2017	Sep 22, 2017

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)
2019	3	0	3	2	100%	top 26%	93.2%	92.5%
2018	4	0	3	1	100%	top 40%	94.3%	87.5%
2017	3	1	1	0	67%	top 40%	94.9%	90.5%
2016	2	0	1	0	50%	top 52%	93.2%	90.4%
2015	1	0	0	1	100%	top 28%	90.2%	90.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 21, 2019	Het BBQ Kampioenschap Van Het Waasland Sint Niklaas	6 / 36 (667.9204)	33 (154.8460)	21 (159.9544)	1 (177.7028)	2 (175.4172)
Jul 20, 2019	4th Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival Bad Bellingen	10 / 44 (671.2684)	19 (164.5256)	16 (166.2400)	—	3 (174.2744)
Apr 26, 2019	KCBS Greek Fire Festival 2019 Marketplate	9 / 24 (659.3144)	18 (161.6800)	18 (156.5372)	7 (165.0972)	1 (176)
Sep 22, 2018	5th Ruhrpott BBQ 2018 Waltrop	9 / 73 (658.2056)	6 (170.8228)	31 (160.0116)	10 (167.4056)	30 (159.9656)
May 26, 2018	Brew N Q Burton Upon Trent	34 / 34 (521.6688)	13 (169.1428)	26 (161.6688)	34 (20)	5 (170.8572)
May 25, 2018	Brew N Q (INVITATIONAL) unrated Burton Upon Trent	5 / 24 (678.8116)	2 (176)	24 (152.5372)	1 (177.7144)	7 (172.5600)
Apr 28, 2018	KCBS Greek Fire Festival 2018 Reichshof	9 / 32 (660.4800)	19 (162.7884)	19 (157.7144)	8 (167.4056)	6 (172.5716)
Sep 22, 2017	4th Ruhrpott BBQ 2017 Waltrop NRW, Germany	45 / 66 (626.6628)	56 (153.0856)	48 (156.5144)	33 (159.9312)	35 (157.1316)
Jun 10, 2017	KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees Deurne	1 / 24 (683.3716)	2 (173.1316)	3 (171.4172)	7 (168)	3 (170.8228)
May 13, 2017	Beer,Fries & BBQ IV Hasselt	24 / 50 (644.5032)	42 (155.9772)	23 (159.9888)	31 (159.9428)	5 (168.5944)
Sep 24, 2016	3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016 Waltrop NRW, DE	48 / 67 (631.2912)	46 (158.2628)	63 (146.8344)	16 (168.5484)	44 (157.6456)
Aug 20, 2016	EUregio Barbecue Festival Waldfeutch-Haaren/NRW, NR	9 / 28 (670.7776)	4 (173.1316)	5 (168.5716)	15 (168.5256)	21 (160.5488)
Sep 25, 2015	2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015 Herten, NRW	19 / 67 (649.6116)	57 (151.9544)	12 (166.2972)	1 (174.8456)	36 (156.5144)

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

BBQ HIGHLANDER

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 (12 found in their record)

Riding a hot streak

Against the odds

On the rise

Signature meat

They almost always walk

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

The drought

A strong matchup

Brisket nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

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)