High-water mark
663.3600
career-best overall
92.1% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 663.3600 at Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff — 92.1% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Sep 21, 2018
High on the Hog
High on the Hog is a competition barbecue team with 17 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 17th of 29 at the Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 1) (2019). They are ranked #6259 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1417
peak 1417 · rated over 16 contests
Contests
17
in the data
First seen
Apr 26, 2013
latest Sep 23, 2022 · 9.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
0% of 17 contests
Avg finish
top 81%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
598.11 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 622.11 (-24.00)
Walk rate
12%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±43.36
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 159.90 · weakest Brisket (152.81)
Road miles
4,790
across 17 mapped stops · furthest 456 mi
Schedule strength
61%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1577)
Purse competed for
$62K
listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 6 state-championship entries
Master avg
622.11 / 720
16 Master contests · 0 GCs
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to High on the Hog, each with one reason worth a look.
28 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#6,261 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1417
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to High on the Hog)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team High on the Hog has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#6,262 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1416
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to High on the Hog)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 27 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#6,255 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 6%
- Peak
- 1417
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before High on the Hog's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#6,257 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1417
Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 17, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#6,252 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 4%
- Peak
- 1417
25 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 4% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#6,260 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1417
They turned up 6 years after High on the Hog did, first appearing in 2019.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One2BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| QUAU | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| HEFTY LEFTY BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Rusty Pig BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Carrol Lou's Smokehouse | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 176.0116 | 130.8000 | 159.59 | top 67% |
| Pork Ribs | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.8572 | 146.2172 | 159.90 | top 68% |
| Pork | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.8572 | 148.5028 | 159.79 | top 70% |
| Brisket | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163.9544 | 128.9944 | 152.81 | top 78% |
“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) | 6 | 0 | top 79% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 82% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival | 3 | 42 | 0 | top 85% | Aug 25, 2017 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2019
3 contests
Contests a season
1.9
across 9 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IL
7 of 17 contests · 8 states in all
Contests visited
14
1 of them more than once
Opponents faced
955
finished ahead 351 times, behind 888
Longest layoff
2 yrs
Oct 11, 2019 → Sep 24, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20221 milestone
- Most recent contest Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
20184 milestones
- First call Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff
- 10th tracked contest Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff
- Career-best overall score663.3600 Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff
- Career-best single call (Chicken)176.0116 Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff
20141 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.5488 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open
20132 milestones
- First tracked contest Wabash Ribber Fest Barbecue Championship
- Peak power rating (1491) Wabash Ribber Fest Barbecue Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +3.4 | Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 1) | Aug 23, 2019 |
| +2.1 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off | Sep 20, 2019 |
| +1.6 | Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff | Sep 21, 2018 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.3 | East Central State BBQ Cook Off Paola Roots Festival | Aug 28, 2015 |
| -10.1 | CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ | Oct 12, 2018 |
| -9.4 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ) | Oct 11, 2019 |
| -9.4 | Wabash Ribber Fest Barbecue Championship | Apr 26, 2013 |
| -8.5 | Smokin' For Garrett | Oct 22, 2021 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 100% | 65.9% | 65.9% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 90% | 87.4% | 86.6% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 72% | 91.3% | 89.2% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 83% | 92.1% | 88.8% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 74% | 87.8% | 87.8% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 83% | 88.6% | 87.5% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 97% | 81.8% | 81.8% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 59% | 90.1% | 90.1% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 89.8% | 87.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23, 2022 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 46 / 46 (474.7088) | — | 40 (157.6688) | 42 (156.5144) | 34 (160.5256) |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Smokin' For Garrett 🏅 Boonville, IN | 25 / 27 (617.5200) | 25 (157.1200) | 18 (163.3944) | 25 (148.5028) | 23 (148.5028) |
| Sep 24, 2021 | Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 34 / 39 (628.9256) | 33 (159.9428) | 33 (159.3484) | 32 (158.2628) | 33 (151.3716) |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ) 🏅 Arthur, IL | 42 / 43 (615.7716) | 25 (168) | 21 (163.9428) | 41 (154.8344) | 42 (128.9944) |
| Sep 20, 2019 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 33 / 54 (653.6116) | 30 (164.5372) | 26 (167.4056) | 26 (166.8916) | 45 (154.7772) |
| Aug 23, 2019 | Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 1) 🏅 Brandon, MS | 17 / 29 (657.5312) | 22 (163.9428) | 6 (170.8572) | 22 (159.3484) | 16 (163.3828) |
| Oct 12, 2018 | CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL | 44 / 45 (601.4512) | 44 (141.6456) | 40 (149.6800) | 40 (151.9084) | 37 (158.2172) |
| Sep 21, 2018 | Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL | 38 / 59 (663.3600) | 6 (176.0116) | 47 (159.9656) | 34 (166.2512) | 45 (161.1316) |
| Jun 1, 2018 | Piggin In The Park Woodruff, SC | 30 / 34 (653.5548) | 18 (168.5488) | 30 (162.2516) | 33 (158.8000) | 24 (163.9544) |
| Aug 25, 2017 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 42 / 57 (631.8400) | 41 (155.9656) | 42 (155.9428) | 13 (170.8572) | 51 (149.0744) |
| Oct 7, 2016 | Cookin on the Kaw DeSoto, KS | 46 / 56 (638.1828) | 24 (169.1428) | 32 (163.9884) | 51 (155.3944) | 49 (149.6572) |
| Aug 26, 2016 | Franklin BBQ Festival Presented By Franklin Noon Rotary Club Franklin, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aug 26, 2016 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 51 / 61 (621.5428) | 58 (150.2056) | 58 (146.2172) | 26 (164.0228) | 28 (161.0972) |
| Aug 28, 2015 | East Central State BBQ Cook Off Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 63 / 65 (588.9484) | 65 (130.8000) | 58 (151.9200) | 58 (152.5484) | 48 (153.6800) |
| Oct 2, 2014 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 323 / 552 (648.5488) | 283 (165.0972) | 293 (162.9028) | 405 (158.2628) | 268 (162.2860) |
| Oct 18, 2013 | Ohio Smoke Meat Festival Nelsonville, OH | 23 / 35 (646.8684) | 13 (167.4400) | 16 (165.7028) | 12 (167.9656) | 32 (145.7600) |
| Apr 26, 2013 | Wabash Ribber Fest Barbecue Championship Mt. Carmel, IL | 29 / 36 (611.4280) | 26 (155.4284) | 22 (157.1428) | 11 (166.2856) | 35 (132.5712) |