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CANVAS AUCTION
*IMPORTANT UPDATE: With the health and safety of our community top of mind, the Calgary Stampede has made the decision to postpone the 2020 Chuckwagon Canvas Auction.
Presented by GMC
Choose your Champion at Canvas Auction 2020 and be a part of history in the making. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience a one-of-a-kind event, offering exclusive advertising opportunities in the ten days of action for you or up to nine other organizations. As a chuckwagon advertiser, you will be able to offer clients, employees and friends an amazing behind the scenes experience while also gaining extensive exposure for your company or group.
For more information and details on becoming part of the action,
contact us today.
Todd Baptiste
Cando, Saskatchewan
Off season: Commercial Driver, Big Game Outfitter
Memorable moment: Outriding for my father Edger when he won the 1996 Calgary Stampede Championship.
Skills: Mentor and role model for youth to live a healthy lifestyle.
Inspiration: My family and being able to work with the horses.
Community Involvement: Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association board member, support local charities, community events and functions.
Chance Bensmiller
Dewberry, Alberta
Off Season: Plow Truck Driver
Memorable moment: Winning the Dewberry race. It’s my home town and the buckle is in memory of my late Grandfather Allan.
Skills: Farrier – I shoe all my own horses. I also build wagons and many of them run today in both Chuckwagon associations.
Inspiration: 3rd generation driver – racing is in my blood and family is a big part of that inspiration.
Community Involvement: A member of the Dewberry Chuckwagon committee and youth hockey coach.
Kurt Bensmiller
Dewberry, Alberta
Off season: Plow Truck Driver.
Memorable moment: Riding to the tarmac with my dad the first year I won the Rangeland Derby.
Skills: Horse Trainer.
Inspiration: Family, fans and being able to do what I love.
Community Involvement: Many different charity events all around the province.
BJ Carey
Lloydminster, Alberta
Off season: Area sales manager for Secure Energy.
Memorable moment: The first time I raced at the Calgary Stampede in 2012.
Skills: Farrier, mentor to my cousin Kris Flanagan.
Inspiration: My family and the adrenaline I get from the horses.
Community Involvement: I donate time at the Lloydminster soup kitchen and coach kid’s hockey.
Troy Dorchester
Westerose, Alberta
Off season: Sales for a pressure testing company.
Memorable moment: Winning the Richard Cosgrave memorial trophy at the Calgary Stampede in 2012.
Inspiration: The whole Dorchester family.
Community Involvement: Minor hockey coach, 4-H, various events promoting the sport.
Dallas Dyck
Dewberry, AB
Off season: Truck driver and heavy equipment hauler.
Memorable moment: First day money win on my home track in Dewberry.
Skills: Mentoring new drivers and outriders.
Inspiration: My grandfather Arthur Gorst.
Community Involvement: I am part of the Dewberry Chuckwagon Racing Heritage Society and volunteer with a school breakfast program.
Chad Fike
Cremona, Alberta
Off season: Manage the local hockey arena in Cremona.
Memorable moment: 2015 Orville Strandquist Memorial Award for Top Rookie Driver.
Skills: Training horses
Inspiration: Working with the horses and my family every day.
Community Involvement: WPCA Board member, volunteer with a local Ag society and minor hockey board and other special events.
Jordie Fike
High River, Alberta
Off season: Manage the Blackie Alberta hockey arena.
Memorable moment: Qualifying for the Calgary Stampede in my rookie year with the WPCA.
Skills: Farrier.
Inspiration: My grandpa Ron David and the horses with their will to win.
Community Involvement: Cowboy Christmas, which raises and donates money and gifts for local families.
Darcy Flad
Bodo, Alberta
Off season: Run a cow/calf operation, grain farm and train race horses.
Memorable moment: Competing at the Calgary Stampede every time I’m invited.
Skill: Welding and roping.
Inspiration: My dad Herman Flad and continuing with my son Layne.
Community Involvement: Donate annually to silent auction to benefit local children’s organizations.
Troy Flad
Warburg, Alberta
Off season: Grain farmer, horse trainer.
Memorable moment: The first time I was invited to the Calgary Stampede.
Skill: Welder, truck driver.
Inspiration: The horses, especially in the spring.
Community Involvement: I coach minor hockey.
Kris Flanagan
Bonnyville, Alberta
Off season: Horses are number one, but I also work for a trucking company and enjoy ice fishing and curling.
Memorable moment: Getting the call to compete at the 2019 Calgary Stampede.
Skills: Farrier – I shoe my own horses.
Inspiration: The lifestyle and raising kids in the chuckwagon family.
Community Involvement: Proudly support community initiatives whenever I can.
Jason Glass
High River, Alberta
Off season: Major motion picture stuntman.
Memorable moment: Winning the 2013 Rangeland Derby.
Skills: Horse training, movie stunts that involve horses.
Inspiration: My grandmother, Iris Glass, and my father, Tom Glass.
Community Involvement: I support youth programs that my kids participate in.
Dustin Gorst
Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan
Off season: Play senior hockey for Meadow Lake Broncos.
Memorable moment: Winning the Calgary Stampede Orville Strandquist Rookie award.
Skills: Farrier, outrider.
Inspiration: To someday win the Rangeland Derby.
Community Involvement: President of the Meadow Lake Grandstand committee.
Gary Gorst
Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan
Off season: Work for a highway maintenance company.
Memorable moment: First dash I qualified for in Calgary.
Skills: Truck driver, equipment operator but most important, a Grandpa.
Inspiration: My dad and two sons, who push me to be the best.
Community Involvement: Meadow Lake Grandstand committee, volunteer at the Calgary Food bank.
Logan Gorst
Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan
Off season: Work at an oilfield SAGD plant.
Memorable moment: Qualifying for my first Rangeland Derby in 2009.
Skills: Journeyman electrical and instrumentation tickets.
Inspiration: Keeping the western heritage alive, fans inspire me to compete.
Community Involvement: Volunteer at the Calgary Food Bank. Committee member for Half Mile of Hell Heritage Foundation.
Barry Hodgson
Wetaskiwin, Alberta
Off season: Train race horses in Arizona.
Memorable moment: Qualifying for my first Calgary Stampede in 2009.
Skills: I’ve trained race horses for 40 years.
Inspiration: The horses themselves.
Community Involvement: I support local events whenever I have the opportunity.
Doug Irvine
LaCorey, Alberta
Off season: Truck driver.
Memorable moment: Racing in the final dash in Calgary in 2012.
Skills: Former outrider, mentored several outriders and some drivers.
Inspiration: My family inspires me to be better each and every day.
Community Involvement: I coach minor hockey and work to raise awareness for organ donation and Downs Syndrome.
Ross Knight
St. Walburg, Saskatchewan
Off season: Manage a trucking company.
Memorable moment: Winning Dawson Creek in 2018 and the Aggregate championship as an outrider.
Skills: Farrier.
Inspiration: Chuckwagon racing is an important part of Canada’s western heritage.
Community Involvement: Volunteer with the local EMS and support minor hockey.
Jamie Laboucane
St. Walburg, Saskatchewan
Off season: Cattle rancher.
Memorable moment: Qualifying for 2015 Calgary Stampede semi-final Saturday.
Skills: Journeyman heavy truck mechanic, welder.
Inspiration: My father Brian Laboucane who taught me to drive and my godfather Dale Grey who taught me to outride.
Community Involvement: I volunteer whenever I can.
Layne MacGillivray
Halkirk, Alberta
Off season: I work for League Pipelines.
Memorable moment: Memories we have made as a family.
Inspiration: The thrill of competition, being involved in a sport with horses, the people you meet along the way and having family and friends working by your side.
Community Involvement: I volunteer whenever I can.
Codey McCurrach
Condor, Alberta
Off season: Production Foreman for Enerplus.
Memorable moment: Competing at the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede in 2012.
Skills: Mentoring kids in sports and public speaking.
Inspiration: Love of the horses and their competitiveness to compete.
Community Involvement: 4H and various fundraisers throughout the year. Involved with Hockey Heroes.
Dale Mitsuing
Loon Lake, Saskatchewan
Off season: I work for Val’s Drilling.
Memorable moment: Winning the CPCA championship in my rookie year 2018.
Skills: Farrier.
Inspiration: My father 7X CPCA Champion Ray Mitsuing.
Community Involvement: I enjoy working with kids and horses in my community giving wagon rides etc.
Kris Molle
Chauvin, Alberta
Off season: Lead operator for an Oil & Gas company.
Memorable moment: Winning my first wagon show and giving my buckle to my dad.
Skills: Farrier, equine dentistry.
Inspiration: The fans, the kids and the people we meet along the way.
Community Involvement: Environmental Day for grades five and six, community BBQs, wagon and sleigh rides for school kids.
Roger Moore
Loon Lake, Saskatchewan
Off season: Oil field consultant, rancher, farmer.
Memorable moment: Winning the Ponoka Stampede in 2013.
Skills: Training horses, animal husbandry.
Inspiration: Family, my daughter Kleyson would like to outride for me some day.
Community Involvement: I volunteer whenever I can.
Obrey Motowylo
Bluffton, Alberta
Off season: Rancher, tractor and small engine repair.
Memorable moment: Winning Ponoka on my birthday in 2009.
Skills: Farrier, 4H mentor.
Inspiration: My wife and sons. They are old enough now to compete with me.
Community Involvement: Charitable poker tournaments. I also take the wagon to local trade shows and functions to help promote the sport
Vern Nolin
Dewberry, Alberta
Off season: Manage the Dewberry hockey arena, drive a school bus.
Memorable moment: Winning the 2018 Ponoka Stampede.
Skills: Farrier, carpenter.
Inspiration: My family, friends and all the equine athletes involved.
Community Involvement: I help out with many events in my community.
Cody Ridsdale
Grimshaw, Alberta
Off season: Haul logs.
Memorable moment: Winning my first show in Medicine Hat in 2018.
Inspiration: My dad Glen; I watched him race and witnessed his love of the horses. Always wanted to follow in his footsteps.
Community Involvement: Participate in fundraisers in my community to benefit sick people.
Danny Ringuette
Bonnyville, Alberta
Off season: I’m a truck push.
Memorable moment: Getting the call to compete at the 2019 Calgary Stampede.
Inspiration: The horses, the lifestyle and to be best at a sport that not many people can do.
Community Involvement: I’m always happy to give time and lend a hand to others in my community.
Evan Salmond
Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan
Off season: I own a logging company.
Memorable moment: Winning the 2018 Grande Prairie dash and aggregate.
Skills: Harness maker.
Inspiration: My family all raced wagons; my great, great grandfather drove stagecoach.
Community Involvement: Local saddle club member, local community hall President and I support local kid’s hockey.
Kirk Sutherland
Grande Prairie, Alberta
Off season: Run a mare and foal program with draft horses
Memorable moment: Winning the 2016 Rangeland Derby and seeing my son a half-length behind me.
Skills: Farrier, train wagon and saddle horses.
Inspiration: Taking a new horse and watching him get better each time he’s hooked.
Community Involvement: Grande Prairie Chuckwagon Association, Mark Sutherland Charity Poker Tournament for Pace kids, sponsor a Bantam AA Hockey team.
Mark Sutherland
Okotoks, Alberta
Off season: Pipeline inspector. Keynote speaker, providing insight into the sport of racing.
Memorable moment: Final dash at Ponoka against my dad. He beat me by 1/100th of a second.
Inspiration: It’s all about the horses.
Community Involvement: I run a charity poker tournament to benefit kids and support Dreams Take Flight.
Mitch Sutherland
Grande Prairie, Alberta
Off season: Own and run an oilfield trucking company, and play and coach hockey. I own race horses.
Memorable moment: Qualifying for the 2016 Calgary Stampede Dash for Cash.
Skills: Athletics – I was drafted by the Canadian Football League.
Inspiration: The horses, competition and the excitement.
Community Involvement: Sponsor and coach Grande Prairie minor and junior hockey.
Lane Tournier
Blackfalds, Alberta
Off season: I work in the oil patch.
Memorable moment: When I won the first day money of my career.
Skills: I am a horse chiropractor.
Inspiration: My parents, I learned everything I know about horses from my father Luke.
Community Involvement: I help other drivers when they need a hand and promote the sport to as many fans and sponsors as I can.
Luke Tournier
Duck Lake, Saskatchewan
Off season: Truck driver in Fort Hills, Alberta.
Memorable moment: Winning both Calgary Stampede Aggregate and Finals of 2005 and 2007.
Skills: Training horses.
Inspiration: Love of the competition, family aspect of the sport allowing for family time. Being a Grandpa, my daughter is married to a driver, one son is a driver and other son is an outrider.
Community Involvement: I volunteer whenever I’m able.
Chanse Vigen
Calgary, Alberta
Off season: Business development for two oil and gas service companies.
Memorable moment: Outriding for Kelly Sutherland when he won the 2002 Rangeland Derby.
Skills: Certified Farrier.
Inspiration: The horses; discovering each of their strengths is motivating.
Community Involvement: Various church organizations.
John Walters
Delburne, Alberta
Off season: Custom fencing, hunting, train team roping horses.
Memorable moment: I was in heat 1 on barrel 4, leading the first heat of wagons into the infield for the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede.
Skills: Mentored new rodeo cowboys in my rodeo years. Mentor children with special needs
Inspiration: Working with the horses, gaining their trust and respect. Taking a horse that has never been broken and making him an equine award winner.
Community Involvement: Maintain the racetrack for the Bashaw Ag Society for the wagon outfits and the 4H Club.
