Chuckwagon racing is an equestrian rodeo sport in which drivers in a chuckwagon led by a team of Thoroughbred horses race around a track. The sport is most popular in the Prairie Provinces of Canada, where the World Professional Chuckwagon Association and the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association, are the two major racing circuits.
The horses used in chuckwagon racing are typically Thoroughbreds, although some Quarter Horses and Appaloosas are also used. The horses must be strong, fast, and agile, and they must be able to handle the stress of racing in a team.
Each chuckwagon team consists of a driver, who commands the team of horses, and two or four outriders, who ride individual horses and follow the chuckwagon. The outriders' job is to help the driver break camp, which involves tossing a stove into the back of the wagon and then completing an eight pattern around two barrels before heading onto the track.
The race is won by the first chuckwagon to cross the finish line. The horses are not required to jump any obstacles, but they must be able to run at a fast pace for a short distance.
Chuckwagon racing is a dangerous sport, and both the horses and the drivers can be injured. However, it is also a very exciting sport, and it is a popular attraction at rodeos and other western events.
Here are some additional facts about chuckwagon racing:
- The first chuckwagon race was held in 1923 at the Calgary Stampede.
- The most famous chuckwagon race in the world is held annually at the Calgary Stampede.
- The World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA) was founded in 1959.
- The Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA) was founded in 1972.
- The WPCA and CPCA hold annual championships, which are the most prestigious events in chuckwagon racing.
Chuckwagon Racing - Clubs and Associations - Canada
- Alberta Professional Chuckwagon & Chariot Association, 42 Canyon Road, Ft. Saskatchewan, AB T8L 0J2 CAN
- All Pro Canadian Chuckwagon & Chariot Association. 5405 - 51 Street, Olds, AB T4H 1H9 CAN
- Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association, Box 1106, Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y8 CAN
- Eastern Professional Chariot & Chuckwagon Association (EPCCA), P.O. Box 903, Kelvington, SK S0A 1W0 CAN
- Grande Prairie Chuckwagon Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 681, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 3A8 CAN
- Manitoba Professional Chuckwagon & Chariot Association (MPCCA), Box 849, 350 Main Street, South, Morris, MB R0G 1K0 CAN
- Ontario Chuckwagon Racing Association, 758 Chiefswood Road, Hagersville, ONT N0A 1H0 CAN
- Prince Albert Professional Chuckwagon & Chariot Association. Inc. (PAPCCA) CAN
- Western Chuckwagon Association, RR #1 21146 TWP 441, Ferintosh, AB T0B 1M0 CAN
- World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA), #3A, 2828 - 18th Street N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 7B1 CAN
Chuckwagon Racing - Clubs and Associations - United States
Chuckwagon Racing - Competitors
Chuckwagon Racing - Events
- Calgary Stampede, 1410 Olympic Way SE, Calgary, AB T2G 2W1 CAN
- Dawson Creek Exhibition Association, Box 819, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8 CAN
- Dewberry Chuckwagon Races, Dewberry, AB T0B CAN
- Lazy P Ranch & Arena, County Road 102. Lockwood, MO 65682
- Ponoka Stampede, Box 4336, Ponoka, AB T4J 1R7 CAN
- Rock Bottom Chuck Wagon Races, 739 CR 824, Green Forest, AR 72638
- Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corporation, 503 Ruth Street East, Saskatoon, SK S7J 0L3 CAN
- Saskatoon World Chuckwagon Races Championship
- The 1836 Chuckwagon Race, 11589 FM 321, Palestine, TX 75803
- World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA), #3A, 2828 - 18th Street N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 7B1 CAN
Chuckwagon Racing - General Resource
Chuckwagon Racing - News
Chuckwagon Racing - Wagon Builders
National Chuckwagon Race Championship
by David E. Klutho/SI, Sept 9, 2014
Read the original article on Sports Illustrated here...
The National Championship Chuckwagon Race is held every Labor Day weekend in Clinton, Arkansas. There are six classes of wagon races using mules or horses, pulling different types of wagons. As one of the largest equestrian gatherings in the country, it draws over 5000 horses and mules. Many of these animals are used as trackside seating for some of the 20,000 plus spectators at the event.
Canadian is Rodeo’s First Woman Chuckwagon Race Driver
By Terry Evans
Read the original article on the Ft Worth Star Telegram...
The first woman chuck wagon race driver in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo’s history believes she was destined to compete in one of the most dangerous sports on wheels.
“I remember looking back at something I wrote when I was 9 years old,” said Amber L’Heureux, 20, of Glaslyn, Saskatchewan, Canada. “It said ‘I want to drive a chuck wagon.’”
The man in charge of the chuck wagon races, Dennis MacGillevray, 63, also of Saskatchewan, said there’s only one reason L’Heureux is the first woman he’s hired.
“I thought no woman could race chuck wagons until I found Amber,” MacGillevray said. “You got to be strong in the arms and you can’t be weak-hearted. It amounts to courage.”
