GOLDEN TOAD

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#3021

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1505

peak 1528 · rated over 10 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-03-29

latest 2022-05-06

Best ToY finish

#577

Master 2013

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 10 contests

Avg finish

top 51%

overall standings

Best overall

669.6688 / 720

Master · Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge

Perfect 180s

Current form

645.34 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 647.38 (-2.03)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

172.5714

Brisket · Colorado Barbecue Challenge

Consistency

±12.35

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 162.77 · weakest Pork (160.42)

Road miles

1,082

mi across 10 mapped stops · furthest 274 mi

Schedule strength

22%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1531)

Purse competed for

$10K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

647.38 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

High-water mark

669.6688 career-best overall

93.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 669.6688 at Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge — 93.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
2013-08-16

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 32%.

4 contests
2 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 32%

A tough matchup

7–0 behind in the head-to-head

BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES ahead in 100% of their meetings

BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of GETTIN' PIGGY WIT IT! in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

5.1 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5.1 years, then back at Wild West BBQ Cook-Off (2022-05-06).

last seen 2017-04-14
back 2022-05-06

Brisket nemesis

6 of 7 shared brisket entries lost

STARS AND STRIPES BBQ ahead 86% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, STARS AND STRIPES BBQ has out-cooked them in 6 of 7 shared brisket entries.

The metronome

±1.71% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.71% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.9% of a perfect score
10 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

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

PRAIRIE DOG PIT CREW

#3022 of the rated field

1505 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1505

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to GOLDEN TOAD)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team GOLDEN TOAD has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 5 contests
last seen 2014-08-22

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin' Hot Mess BBQ

#3011 of the rated field

1505 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2026-05-23
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

Smaakmakers

#3005 of the rated field

1505 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1515

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 10, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2024-03-23

⚔ Head-to-head

3G'S BAR-B-Q TEAM

#3027 of the rated field

1505 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1527

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before GOLDEN TOAD's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 11 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

DRIFTERS Q

#3003 of the rated field

1505 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1516

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 6 years after GOLDEN TOAD did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2025-06-13

⚔ Head-to-head

BLUE CLOUD BBQ

#3028 of the rated field

1505 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2019-05-03

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
CHIBI-Q	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
THE CELTIC PIG	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
3 LIL' MACS BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
G "QUE"	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
STARS AND STRIPES BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Backdraft BBQ	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
PORKY'S PIT CREW	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
GRILLIN' BEAVERS	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' PIGGY WIT IT!	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
Lost Weekend Grill	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
Pig Floyd	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
FLYBOY BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	1	0	169.1430	157.0744	162.77	top 56%
Pork Ribs	10	2	0	171.4172	149.6688	161.41	top 51%
Pork	10	2	0	169.6800	149.6112	160.42	top 53%
Brisket	10	3	1	172.5714	154.8000	162.77	top 46%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
CO	9	0	top 51%
NE	1	0	top 57%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 59%
Large (40+)	4	0	top 40%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge	2	5	0	top 40%	2014-08-15

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 9.1 yrs 2013-03-29 → 2022-05-06

Busiest season 2014 4 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in CO 9 of 10 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 9 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 10 entries · 0 wins · 1 calls

Strongest meat Brisket averages 162.77 · weakest Pork (160.42)

Walk rate 50% a top-10 call in 5 of 10 contests

Overall top-10 rate 20% 2 of 10 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 647.38 out of 720 · 10 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 227 208–178 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,082 10 mapped stops · furthest 274 mi

Schedule strength 1531 average field rating faced — tougher than 22% of rated contests

Purse competed for $10,000 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 5.1 yrs 2017-04-14 → 2022-05-06

Power rating 1505 peak 1528 · #3021 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Mar 29 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jun 14 First overall top-10 Colorado Barbecue Challenge
Jun 14 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.2860 Colorado Barbecue Challenge
Jun 14 Career-best single call (Brisket)172.5714 Colorado Barbecue Challenge
Aug 16 Career-best overall score669.6688 Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge
Aug 16 Peak power rating (1528) Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge
2022
May 6 10th tracked contest Wild West BBQ Cook-Off
May 6 Most recent contest Wild West BBQ Cook-Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+11.9	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge	2013-08-16
+11.8	Colorado Barbecue Challenge	2013-06-14
+9.7	21st Colorado BBQ Challenge	2014-06-13
+4	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2013-03-29

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.9	Wild West BBQ Cook-Off	2022-05-06
-8	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2017-04-14
-6.6	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2014-04-18
-4.9	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge	2014-08-15
-2.5	Smokin' Brew BBQ	2013-08-30

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2022	1	0	0%	top 85%	88.9%	88.9%
2017	1	0	0%	top 83%	88.6%	88.6%
2014	4	0	50%	top 54%	92.8%	89.8%
2013	4	2	75%	top 32%	93%	90.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2022-05-06	Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Lamar, CO	28 / 33 (639.8172)	31 (157.1084)	17 (166.8344)	27 (155.9200)	26 (159.9544)
2017-04-14	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Fort Collins, CO	25 / 30 (638.1256)	23 (159.4172)	14 (166.8344)	29 (149.6112)	15 (162.2628)
2014-08-15	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	28 / 43 (635.8404)	30 (157.0744)	30 (155.4172)	12 (168.5372)	25 (154.8116)
2014-06-13	21st Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	12 / 55 (667.9200)	28 (163.9428)	9 (171.4172)	14 (169.6800)	23 (162.8800)
2014-04-25	Pony Express BBQ Challenge Gothenburg, NE	16 / 28 (645.0060)	12 (164.0000)	24 (149.6688)	9 (167.3828)	14 (163.9544)
2014-04-18	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Denver, CO	22 / 30 (636.9828)	17 (165.1084)	18 (160.5256)	25 (154.2400)	21 (157.1088)
2013-08-30	Smokin' Brew BBQ Parker, CO	31 / 53 (638.1140)	23 (167.3828)	20 (166.2628)	45 (149.6684)	38 (154.8000)
2013-08-16	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	5 / 33 (669.6688)	17 (162.2744)	9 (166.2972)	8 (169.1200)	5 (171.9772)
2013-06-14	Colorado Barbecue Challenge Frisco, CO	9 / 68 (658.2860)	9 (169.1430)	33 (154.8572)	20 (161.7144)	3 (172.5714)
2013-03-29	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Thornton, CO	12 / 30 (644.0000)	18 (162.2856)	21 (156.0002)	13 (158.2856)	5 (167.4286)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2022 ↗	Master	#1612 (58 pts)	#1621 (58 pts)	#1260 (98 pts)	#1622 (58 pts)	#1624 (58 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#2852 (55 pts)	#2257 (65 pts)	#2004 (110 pts)	#2851 (55 pts)	#2006 (105 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#883 (376 pts)	#984 (356 pts)	#950 (376 pts)	#809 (456 pts)	#983 (336 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#577 (538 pts)	#754 (433 pts)	#827 (393 pts)	#755 (443 pts)	#464 (688 pts)