Dumb Question...but still

If the meats cooked are the same and the rules are the same, the differences will likely be:

* The quality of the judging - The backyard portion may or may not be judged by Certified Barbeque Judges (CBJs) so the standard to which you are cooking each meat will not be very well defined

* The quality of the administration - If the backyard portion is being overseen by the same Reps as the sanctioned portion this will not be an issue. If the sanctioning body Reps are not involved, there could be issues with the process once you turn in your meat

* The cost - The backyard portion is probably going to be less expensive in terms of entry fee so that may make it an attractive alternative

Back when we started, we decided to just jump right in and do a sanctioned event. We loved it and never looked back! Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

It'll depend some on your region too. Many of the backyard contests here in the SE are ran by the same reps that run the pro side and use many of the same judges or get as many CBJ as they can. I do fully agree that the level of judging is not comparable, and I would have disagreed with you till we went pro ourselves. We did a full year in BY before going pro and have been enjoying it since, but the same entries that scored us 170's in the BY would not even be close to 160's in the pros. It was a great way to get used to competitions and the format and get a decent starting point for your food, but the competition steps up a lot when going to the pro side.

"Patio" and "Challenger" sounds a lot like Memphis Barbecue Network competition divisions to me. That being said, I believe that Patio is amateur, while Challenger is semi-pro and you get some chance for financial reward for top finishes. Still a big step up to the Pro division.

Good luck in whatever division you decide to compete in!