Author releases new book about Grande Prairie chuckwagon champion

Jul 9, 2026 | 6:00 AM

The newest book from a Prince George-based author is about a chuckwagon champion from Grande Prairie.

Glen Mikkelsen’s new work is called Kelly Sutherland: King of the Chucks.

“There is no one in Canadian sports history that has had such an impact on their sport or has been at the top of their game (or) the person to beat in Canadian sports history, almost in global sports history.”

Mikkelsen says he hopes the book appeals not only to chuckwagon fans but also to those who like biographies or are interested in sports history.

He says Sutherland spent a long time at what he describes as “an intense level of competition.”

“To keep that up over such a long time, five decades, is just such a remarkable story.”

“There’s just so few people that are able to keep up that level of intensity in any sport, whatever it might be.”

Mikkelsen grew up in Calgary and says that the sport grabbed his attention from a young age.

“There’s just something so fantastic about wagons, the men yelling, cursing, cheering and also just the horses, right? The raw power of those amazing, amazing animals as they run past.”

“Somehow, that just captivated me.”

Mikkelsen says there were two years of intense work on the book, but the collecting of stories that are included was spread over two decades.

It is available in stores and online.

Mikkelsen says the stories about generations of different families being involved in chuckwagon racing need to be shared with others not familiar with the sport.

by Curtis Galbraith