BUTTS, BELLIES & BUDDIES

BUTTS, BELLIES & BUDDIES is a competition barbecue team with 19 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 12th of 36 at the Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cook-off (2013). They are ranked #3048 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Butts Bellies & Buddies”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,048

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1504

peak 1512 · rated over 19 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 8, 2013

latest Sep 14, 2018 · 5.5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#432

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 19 contests

Avg finish

top 56%

overall standings

Best overall

678.2852 / 720

Master · The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ

Perfect 180s

Current form

666.26 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 660.32 (+5.94)

Walk rate

47%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5600

Brisket · The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ

Consistency

±11.27

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.00 · weakest Pork Ribs (163.19)

Road miles

1,629

across 19 mapped stops · furthest 251 mi

Schedule strength

35%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1547)

Master avg

660.32 / 720

19 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

678.2852 career-best overall

94.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 678.2852 at The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ — 94.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 3, 2013

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

WHY YOU GRILLIN' ME ...DAWG? has finished one call ahead of BUTTS, BELLIES & BUDDIES 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

17–1 behind in the head-to-head

Organizer Portal ahead in 94% of their meetings

Organizer Portal has come out ahead in 17 of their 18 shared contests.

A strong matchup

7–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 78% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKE-N-ASHES in 7 of their 9 shared contests.

The comeback

1.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (May 5, 2017).

last seen Aug 14, 2015
back May 5, 2017

Chicken nemesis

15 of 18 shared chicken entries lost

Organizer Portal ahead 83% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Organizer Portal has out-cooked them in 15 of 18 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SMOKIN CHUCKS WAGON has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Show 2 more storylines

A May team

Top 47% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 47% across 6 contests, versus top 56% the rest of the year.

6 May contests
top 56% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.56% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.56% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.7% of a perfect score
19 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
2015 ↗	Master	#1605 (134 pts)	#1242 (244 pts)	#1525 (174 pts)	#1586 (164 pts)	#1876 (119 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#867 (385 pts)	#825 (440 pts)	#734 (505 pts)	#697 (545 pts)	#887 (385 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#432 (707 pts)	#443 (712 pts)	#521 (637 pts)	#427 (752 pts)	#352 (877 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BUTTS, BELLIES & BUDDIES, each with one reason worth a look.

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

COLONIAL EMBERS

#3,051 of the rated field

1504 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1519

Careers of much the same size, 17 contests to 19, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Mar 23, 2018

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Clean Smoke BBQ

#3,070 of the rated field

1504 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1508

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 26 contests, alongside a 35% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 24 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2026

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Cluster Cluck Barbecue

#3,054 of the rated field

1504 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1523

They turned up 9 years after BUTTS, BELLIES & BUDDIES did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 24 contests
last seen May 2, 2025

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WILD SHOOTERS BBQ

#3,060 of the rated field

1504 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1512

Level with BUTTS, BELLIES & BUDDIES on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Aug 9, 2019

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POVERTY HILL SMOKERS

#3,052 of the rated field

1504 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1536

They've been 1536 at their best, 32 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Sep 29, 2017

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Smoke Sergeant BBQ

#3,042 of the rated field

1505 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1515

Careers of much the same size, 14 contests to 19, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
JIGGY PIGGY	18	2	16	11%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
BEAN BANDITS	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
SWIGGIN PIG	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
South Pork	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
BIG BLUE QUE	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
HOUSE OF Q	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
The Specialists	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
SMOKE OF THE SHOALS	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
Chokin "N" tha Smoke	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
HIGH ON THE HAWG	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
WILD BUNCH BUTT BURNERS	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BUTT CREW	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE-N-ASHES	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
WHY YOU GRILLIN' ME ...DAWG?	9	5	4	56%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	19	4	176.5600	153.6684	166.00	top 57%
Pork Ribs	19	1	175.4172	153.6456	163.19	top 61%
Pork	19	2	173.1200	157.1426	165.29	top 56%
Brisket	19	4	176.5600	153.7140	165.84	top 49%

“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	0	top 64%
Large (40+)	12	0	top 52%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
AL	12	top 56%
TN	4	top 56%
MS	3	top 57%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Stand By Your Grill	3	22	top 57%	Aug 14, 2015
The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	2	26	top 47%	May 4, 2018
High on the Hog Festival	2	25	top 61%	Apr 20, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 8 contests

Contests a season 3.8 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in AL 12 of 19 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 15 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 435 finished ahead 448 times, behind 500

Longest layoff 1.7 yrs Aug 14, 2015 → May 5, 2017

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

20182 milestones

May 4 Career-best single call (Brisket)176.5600 The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
Sep 14 Most recent contest Riverfest BBQ and Music Festival

20142 milestones

Apr 18 10th tracked contest High on the Hog Festival
Apr 18 Peak power rating (1512) High on the Hog Festival

20134 milestones

Mar 8 First tracked contest BBQ Championship & Hog Wild Festival
Mar 8 First call BBQ Championship & Hog Wild Festival
Mar 8 First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.9992 BBQ Championship & Hog Wild Festival
May 3 Career-best overall score678.2852 The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.4	The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	May 3, 2013
+7.4	Stand By Your Grill	Aug 14, 2015
+6.8	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cook-off	May 24, 2013
+6	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	May 4, 2018
+5.5	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest	Sep 13, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.3	Stand By Your Grill	Aug 15, 2014
-7.6	Smoke on the Falls	Apr 12, 2013
-7.1	Smoke on the Falls	Apr 10, 2015
-4.7	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash	Jul 26, 2013
-4.3	High on the Hog Festival	Apr 20, 2018

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	3	67%	top 59%	93.5%	92.2%
2017	1	0%	top 52%	91.9%	91.9%
2015	2	50%	top 62%	94.1%	92.1%
2014	5	60%	top 65%	93.8%	91.1%
2013	8	38%	top 49%	94.2%	91.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 14, 2018	Riverfest BBQ and Music Festival Decatur, AL	17 / 32 (667.8400)	8 (171.9772)	19 (163.3828)	27 (162.8000)	10 (169.6800)
May 4, 2018	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	26 / 61 (673.0284)	34 (168.5600)	36 (165.6800)	51 (162.2284)	6 (176.5600)
Apr 20, 2018	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	34 / 42 (651.2684)	28 (168)	30 (165.0856)	36 (157.6456)	36 (160.5372)
May 5, 2017	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	36 / 69 (661.5660)	15 (173.1084)	52 (159.9544)	49 (162.7884)	36 (165.7148)
Aug 14, 2015	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	22 / 57 (677.6116)	5 (176.5600)	14 (170.8344)	42 (162.7884)	30 (167.4288)
Apr 10, 2015	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	29 / 34 (649.0284)	29 (164)	33 (153.6572)	16 (168)	26 (163.3712)
Sep 19, 2014	20th Annual Decatur Jaycee's Riverfest Decatur, AL	44 / 75 (651.7940)	66 (158.2172)	44 (162.2284)	43 (163.9772)	31 (167.3712)
Aug 15, 2014	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	59 / 65 (639.2796)	63 (153.6684)	57 (159.3828)	48 (162.8228)	39 (163.4056)
May 16, 2014	Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff Hartselle, AL	17 / 26 (654.6968)	7 (171.4056)	20 (161.1084)	20 (160.5256)	15 (161.6572)
Apr 18, 2014	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	25 / 62 (675.3140)	40 (166.2400)	6 (175.4172)	11 (170.8456)	45 (162.8112)
Apr 11, 2014	Smoke on the Falls Noccalula BBQ Fest Gadsden, AL	23 / 34 (658.2284)	29 (162.8800)	19 (164.5600)	6 (173.1200)	26 (157.6684)
Sep 13, 2013	Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL	28 / 80 (658.7084)	34 (166.8228)	63 (153.6456)	23 (167.9772)	13 (170.2628)
Aug 16, 2013	Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS	26 / 62 (670.1940)	36 (166.2400)	27 (167.4400)	20 (168.5256)	25 (167.9884)
Jul 26, 2013	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN	37 / 54 (655.2572)	42 (161.6800)	42 (159.9544)	20 (169.6800)	32 (163.9428)
May 24, 2013	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cook-off Lewisburg, TN	12 / 36 (667.4282)	9 (170.2856)	25 (157.7142)	21 (165.1426)	7 (174.2858)
May 17, 2013	Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cook-Off Hartselle, AL	18 / 27 (659.9996)	24 (157.1426)	14 (165.1428)	19 (165.7142)	7 (172)
May 3, 2013	The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	13 / 62 (678.2852)	15 (170.8570)	19 (168.5712)	21 (167.9998)	13 (170.8572)
Apr 12, 2013	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	26 / 34 (640.5704)	20 (167.9998)	24 (161.7140)	32 (157.1426)	27 (153.7140)
Mar 8, 2013	BBQ Championship & Hog Wild Festival Mobile, AL	28 / 56 (655.9992)	45 (158.2856)	30 (165.1426)	10 (170.8570)	28 (161.7140)

BUTTS, BELLIES & BUDDIES

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

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)