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By Curtis Galbraith

Chuckwagons

Rangeland Derby changes leading to concerns about the future of chuckwagon racing

Sep 26, 2020 | 6:00 AM

A Grande Prairie chuckwagon driver is worried about the future of his sport after the Calgary Stampede made some changes to the Rangeland Derby.

The number of drivers invited to the 2021 edition has been reduced to 27 from the 36 invited in previous years. There will be three wagons per heat, not four.

Mitch Sutherland says this will take some of the excitement out of the sport.

“Calgary is kind of a different animal. They get people from Europe and all over the world, so, really, for the average Calgary fan that is in the stands, they don’t know the difference between a three-wagon heat and a four-wagon heat. Unfortunately, the wagon fans of Alberta are going to notice a big difference.”

Sutherland says everyone is “a little bit shocked” adding they did not think something this would ever happen. He thinks the changes came about after pressure from animal rights groups.

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Sutherland worries this is the beginning of the end for chuckwagon racing as potentially nine driving careers have been eliminated.

“You take them away from Calgary, which is where the bulk of the money is made. In a year like this where there is not going to be much sponsorship money in the next couple years as we recover from the price of oil and COVID and everything, there are a lot of guys having to do some serious thinking.”

The tarp auction has also been eliminated. Sutherland says there have been discussions about the drivers organizing their own sale and inviting previous buyers. He adds it is still early and the drivers are still trying to understand what has happened.

Sutherland says by 2022, it will only be World Professional Chuckwagon Association wagons racing at the Calgary Stampede. Currently, WPCA and Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association drivers are invited to take part. He adds some drivers from both circuits were among those eliminated when the number was reduced by nine.

Sutherland adds it is still a bit early to say if the 2021 season will start on time.

“It is such a fan-based sport that if the fans aren’t able to fill the grandstands, it is pretty tough for the shows to make any money. It is going to be a challenging year.”

Sutherland adds that ultimately, it is up to the organizers of the individual shows if the events go ahead. He thinks it will come down to if they can afford to put the event on and the show organizers will tell them what to do when it comes to COVID rules.

“We can’t just sit here and wait here for things to happen. We have got to make Plan A, B, C, and D and, hopefully, things can return to normal for next year.”

Sutherland is one of the five drivers originally from the Peace Country invited to compete in the 2021 Rangeland Derby. The others are Cody Ridsdale, Chanse Vigen, Kirk Sutherland, and Mark Sutherland.