PIGTAILERS BBQ

PIGTAILERS BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 24 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2023. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (2020), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1474 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,474

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1567

peak 1582 · rated over 24 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 18, 2014

latest May 12, 2023 · 8.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#250

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

25% of 24 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 48%

overall standings

Best overall

689.7372 / 720

Master · Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1

Perfect 180s

Current form

674.35 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 657.70 (+16.64)

Walk rate

58%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.2972

Pork · Minnesota in May

Consistency

±18.45

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.26 · weakest Brisket (161.29)

Road miles

2,769

across 24 mapped stops · furthest 237 mi

Schedule strength

52%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1567)

Purse competed for

$65K

listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

1 🏅

won from 8 state-championship entries

Master avg

657.70 / 720

24 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (14 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

2.8456 points from the title

Came within 2.8456 points of the Grand Championship at Blue Hills Bar-B-Q Fest (May 31, 2019).

Against the odds

8-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 92 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (Oct 16, 2020) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 8-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ.

Giant slayer

40 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 40-team field at Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1.

Oct 16, 2020

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championship here

Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 1st
average top 19%

High-water mark

689.7372 career-best overall

95.8% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 689.7372 at Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 — 95.8% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 16, 2020

State champions

1 state championship won

They've taken 1 state championship from 8 entries at contests carrying the title.

8 state-championship entries

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

CROIX VALLEY SAUCES has finished one call ahead of PIGTAILERS BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Show 7 more storylines

Their season

2019 their best year

2019 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 30%.

3 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 30%

A tough matchup

16–2 behind in the head-to-head

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead in 89% of their meetings

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 16 of their 18 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.0 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.98 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 25% of the time against 38%.

Brisket avg 161.29
Chicken avg 167.26
6 calls in 24 entries

A strong matchup

7–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SCHWEBS BBQ in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

The comeback

1.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.6 years, then back at Minnesota in May (Masters) (May 13, 2022).

last seen Oct 16, 2020
back May 13, 2022

Chicken nemesis

11 of 18 shared chicken entries lost

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead 61% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has out-cooked them in 11 of 18 shared chicken entries.

An October team

Top 26% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 26% across 3 contests, versus top 48% the rest of the year.

3 October contests
top 48% the rest of the year

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
2023 ↗	Master	#1255 (60 pts)	#1319 (60 pts)	#1432 (60 pts)	#825 (175 pts)	#1296 (60 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#837 (175 pts)	#978 (140 pts)	#876 (190 pts)	#654 (295 pts)	#768 (225 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#250 (450 pts)	#276 (445 pts)	#383 (320 pts)	#395 (290 pts)	#474 (245 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#687 (464 pts)	#719 (469 pts)	#882 (349 pts)	#805 (399 pts)	#951 (309 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#666 (511 pts)	#679 (531 pts)	#875 (391 pts)	#482 (766 pts)	#925 (346 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#864 (418 pts)	#789 (503 pts)	#796 (503 pts)	#1104 (318 pts)	#815 (473 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1087 (291 pts)	#1246 (261 pts)	#1062 (326 pts)	#1014 (361 pts)	#1099 (301 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1372 (180 pts)	#1456 (185 pts)	#1286 (235 pts)	#1505 (180 pts)	#1431 (180 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

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

GAME ON BBQ

#1,468 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1567

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 Jun 15, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

Smokin Reefer BBQ

#1,471 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1591

Careers of much the same size, 27 contests to 24, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

309 BBQ

#1,465 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 71%
Peak: 1613

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 24 contests, alongside a 71% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

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SOUTHERN THUNDER BBQ

#1,472 of the rated field

1567 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1574

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 6 years before PIGTAILERS BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 20 contests

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THIS IS HOW WE QUE IT

#1,479 of the rated field

1566 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1596

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

rated over 29 contests
last seen Sep 29, 2022

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COMING IN HOT STL

#1,478 of the rated field

1566 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1583

Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 24, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Sep 14, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	18	2	16	11%	⚔ compare
CROIX VALLEY SAUCES	17	7	10	41%	⚔ compare
ACES HIGH BBQ	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
Hogline	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
NECTAR OF THE HOGS	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
HOT DADDY'S BBQ	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
B.S. BARBEQUE	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
CITY SLICKERS BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
C R BUTTS SMOKE	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
CASE OF RIBS	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
SMOKE IN THE EYE	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
TRUE SMOKE BBQ	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
WHITEWATER BBQ COMPANY	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	24	9	2	176	154.2284	167.26	top 44%
Pork Ribs	24	4	1	173.2116	144.5028	164.36	top 46%
Pork	24	9	3	178.2972	147.4056	164.79	top 49%
Brisket	24	6	0	173.1428	150.8116	161.29	top 55%

“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)	2	0	top 32%
Medium (20–39)	10	0	top 45%
Large (40+)	12	1	top 53%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
WI	13	1	top 39%
MN	11	0	top 58%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)	2	1	1	top 19%	Jun 10, 2022
Smokin in the Bogs	2	11	0	top 42%	Aug 30, 2019
Wisconsin Colorfest & BBQ Bash	2	6	0	top 38%	Oct 5, 2018
Minnesota in May	2	14	0	top 33%	May 11, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 4 contests

Contests a season 2.7 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in WI 13 of 24 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 20 4 of them more than once

First title Oct 16, 2020 Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1

Opponents faced 492 finished ahead 552 times, behind 580

Longest layoff 1.6 yrs Oct 16, 2020 → May 13, 2022

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

20231 milestone

May 12 Most recent contest Minnesota in May

20205 milestones

Oct 16 First Grand Championship Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1
Oct 16 First state championship Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1
Oct 16 Biggest field won (40 teams) Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1
Oct 16 Career-best overall score689.7372 Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1
Oct 16 Peak power rating (1582) Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1

20192 milestones

May 31 First overall podium Blue Hills Bar-B-Q Fest
May 31 First Reserve Championship Blue Hills Bar-B-Q Fest

20181 milestone

May 11 Career-best single call (Pork)178.2972 Minnesota in May

20172 milestones

Jun 23 10th tracked contest Rotary Rockn Ribs
Sep 1 First overall top-10 7th Annual Smokin' In The Bogs

20161 milestone

Sep 16 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.1828 KTD Smokin ' Gobbler Cook-Off

20142 milestones

Jul 18 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jul 18 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.2	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1	Oct 16, 2020
+15.7	Blue Hills Bar-B-Q Fest	May 31, 2019
+12.7	Minnesota in Mayaugust	Aug 28, 2020
+12.1	Minnesota in May	May 11, 2018
+11.5	7th Annual Smokin' In The Bogs	Sep 1, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.8	Minnesota in May	May 12, 2023
-9.2	Smokin' in Steel	May 29, 2015
-6.9	Masters in May	Apr 29, 2016
-6.4	Minnesota in May (Masters)	May 13, 2022
-4.6	Minnesota in May	May 13, 2016

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	1	0	0	100%	top 75%	91.9%	91.9%
2022	2	0	0	50%	top 53%	93.8%	92.9%
2020	2	1	2	100%	top 9%	95.8%	95.3%
2019	3	0	1	67%	top 30%	93.6%	92.3%
2018	4	0	1	100%	top 31%	94.4%	93.2%
2017	4	0	2	50%	top 44%	93.1%	91.6%
2016	4	0	0	25%	top 70%	90.9%	88.9%
2015	3	0	0	0%	top 74%	88.9%	87.7%
2014	1	0	0	100%	top 60%	89.1%	89.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 12, 2023	Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN	44 / 59 (661.6456)	58 (154.2284)	32 (166.8572)	6 (174.2628)	30 (166.2972)
Jun 10, 2022	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI	14 / 39 (675.3372)	21 (169.1200)	33 (158.8000)	3 (175.4400)	7 (171.9772)
May 13, 2022	Minnesota in May (Masters) 🏅 Cambridge, MN	41 / 59 (662.1600)	41 (163.3828)	11 (170.8572)	42 (165.6684)	45 (162.2516)
Oct 16, 2020	Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI	1 / 40 (689.7372)	5 (173.1200)	3 (173.2116)	14 (170.2628)	7 (173.1428)
Aug 28, 2020	Minnesota in Mayaugust 🏅 Cambridge, MN	7 / 45 (682.8572)	2 (176)	20 (166.8572)	6 (173.7028)	21 (166.2972)
Aug 30, 2019	Smokin in the Bogs 🏅 Warrens, WI	15 / 38 (666.7772)	28 (162.8572)	22 (164.5372)	12 (169.7028)	15 (169.6800)
Jun 21, 2019	Bring'n Home the Bacon 🏅 West Salem, WI	15 / 37 (653.6000)	7 (170.2628)	16 (161.6916)	14 (165.6800)	23 (155.9656)
May 31, 2019	Blue Hills Bar-B-Q Fest 🏅 Rice Lake, WI	2 / 19 (674.2172)	2 (174.2628)	5 (168.5372)	6 (167.3828)	9 (164.0344)
Oct 5, 2018	Wisconsin Colorfest & BBQ Bash Turtle Lake, WI	6 / 26 (679.8972)	6 (173.1200)	15 (166.2516)	3 (173.7028)	10 (166.8228)
Aug 31, 2018	Smokin in the Bogs Warrens, WI	11 / 25 (659.3024)	8 (169.1656)	10 (165.6684)	8 (169.1200)	16 (155.3484)
Jun 22, 2018	Rotary Rockn Ribs LaCrosse, WI	15 / 41 (666.7884)	16 (168.5600)	17 (166.8344)	10 (168.5484)	24 (162.8456)
May 11, 2018	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	14 / 70 (677.0628)	14 (171.4056)	24 (167.3944)	2 (178.2972)	49 (159.9656)
Oct 6, 2017	Wisconsin Colorfest & BBQ Bash Turtle Lake, WI	10 / 19 (668.4452)	7 (171.9656)	13 (165.6800)	14 (163.4056)	9 (167.3940)
Sep 1, 2017	7th Annual Smokin' In The Bogs Warrens, WI	8 / 29 (670.1828)	8 (169.6800)	5 (168.5716)	16 (163.9656)	7 (167.9656)
Jun 23, 2017	Rotary Rockn Ribs LaCrosse, WI	19 / 37 (647.8628)	22 (165.6684)	17 (162.2516)	29 (153.6800)	12 (166.2628)
May 12, 2017	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	32 / 71 (652.5716)	11 (170.2856)	13 (169.7488)	69 (147.4056)	25 (165.1316)
Sep 16, 2016	KTD Smokin ' Gobbler Cook-Off Worthington, MN	19 / 29 (654.1828)	19 (165.0972)	17 (164.5600)	24 (159.9656)	15 (164.5600)
Sep 2, 2016	6th Annual Smokin' In the Bogs Warrens, WI	19 / 32 (642.7544)	27 (155.9772)	14 (164.5256)	5 (171.4400)	21 (150.8116)
May 13, 2016	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	50 / 71 (640.5484)	30 (165.7256)	31 (164.5716)	59 (156)	57 (154.2512)
Apr 29, 2016	Masters in May Appleton, WI	50 / 59 (623.2572)	41 (161.0856)	42 (154.2172)	47 (156.5256)	51 (151.4288)
Aug 28, 2015	8th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	37 / 55 (638.6968)	35 (162.2396)	20 (166.8572)	42 (157.0856)	41 (152.5144)
Aug 7, 2015	Med City BBQ & Musicfest Rochester, MN	32 / 47 (640.0116)	30 (164.5600)	19 (164.5828)	32 (158.8800)	36 (151.9888)
May 29, 2015	Smokin' in Steel Owatonna, MN	52 / 60 (615.3368)	24 (166.3084)	55 (144.5028)	52 (153.6684)	49 (150.8572)
Jul 18, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Woodbury, MN	18 / 30 (641.6460)	9 (170.2628)	20 (157.1316)	23 (161.1544)	21 (153.0972)

PIGTAILERS 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

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (14 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Against the odds

Giant slayer

Happy hunting ground

High-water mark

State champions

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

An October team

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)