2011 Canvas Auction Results

Kelly Sutherland

Favourite Horse: Ralph

Nicknamed “The King,” look for Kelly’s racing signatures: his eagle feather and thumbs up wave to the crowd upon completion of every race. Kelly is a 10-time Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Champion and a 10-time World Champion Chuckwagon Driver. 2009 saw Kelly win the Badlands Dinosaur Derby in Drumheller , had a horse named to the WPCA's Equine Outfit of Excellence for the 3rd consecutive year, and was the first torchbearer of day 8 of the Olympic Torch Relay for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver when the Olympic Torch entered Alberta.

1994 - WPCA Person of the Year
2002 - Mullen Group Safe Drive Award
2006 - World Champion Chuckwagon Driver

Jason Glass

Favourite Horse: Colbain

Jason is a fourth generation reins man. He has twice been voted the Fan’s Favourite at Calgary. Jason won his 2nd career World Champion Chuckwagon Championship, 2nd career Calgary Stampede Aggregate title, the WPCA Clean Drive Award, and for the 2nd time he had a horse named to the WPCA Equine Outfit of Excellence - all in 2008. In the off-season, Jason works in the movie industry rubbing shoulders with the like of Robert Duvall and Owen Wilson. He also outrode for two Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Championship outfits and three Calgary Stampede Aggregate winners.

2001 – Mullen Safety Award
2001 & 2008 – CS Aggregate Champion
2008 & 2009 – World Champion

Kirk Sutherland

Favourite Horse: Apollo

Kirk is a veteran driver entering his fifth decade of competitive chuckwagon racing. Kirk and Kelly are the only brothers to qualify for the GMC Rangeland Derby final heat in the same year. He has won major show championships at the North American Chuckwagon Championship, Edmonton's Chuckwagon Derby and twice captured the Battle of the North in Dawson Creek, B.C.

1984 - WPCA Most Improved Outfit Award

Gary Gorst

Favourite Horse: Search

Gary picked up the reins when he was 15 and now competes as a second-generation chuckwagon driver. Gary knows the greatest thing about racing is traveling with his family.

2005 – CPCA Chuckwagon Family of the Year

Buddy Bensmiller

Favourite Horse: JJ

Buddy is a 3-time Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Champion driver and a 3-time Calgary Stampede Aggregate winner. He won 2 Calgary Stampede Mullen Group Safe Drive Awards for the Least Penalized Driver, and outrode for one Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Championship outfit in 1981. Buddy is a 2-time World Champion Chuckwagon Driver, was the WPCA's Chuckwagon Person of the Year in 2000, and won a record 4 WPCA Clean Drive Awards!

He now competes against his three sons - David, Kurt and Chance.

1979, 1989 & 2003 – Calgary Stampede Champion 1994, 1995 & 1997 – Aggregate Champion 1994 – Guy Weadick Award

Brian Laboucane

Favourite Horse: Spanish Honour

This is Brian’s 31st consecutive year racing at Calgary. Brian has left his mark on Canadian soil and holds two Canadian track records. He has qualified for the sudden death championship final heat for the CPCA championship 6 times in the past 7 years, and has twice received the CPCA Award for Excellence in Corporate Involvement. Brian has won over 75 CPCA show championships.

1993, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003 & 2006 – CPCA High Point Champion
2005 – Chuckwagon Family of the Year Award
2008 – Calgary Stampede Safety Award

Rick Fraser

Favourite Horse: Major

Rick has qualified for the GMC Rangeland Derby sudden death final three times and outrode for 6 Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Championship outfits and 2 Calgary Stampede Aggregate Winners. Rick was the 2004 World Champion Chuckwagon Driver, received the WPCA Showmanship Award in 2001 and was the WPCA's Top Rookie Driver in 1982.

One of the most tough and talented drivers in the world, Rick is always a top contender at the Rangeland Derby. His dream was always to race chuckwagons and he says that meeting people and winning races is his idea of living that dream.

1999 – Orville Strandquist Rookie Award 2004 – World Champion 2005 – Guy Weadick Award

Grant Profit

Favourite Horse: Prince

Grant is consistently a top competitor on the WPCA Pro Tour. Grant has 4 career show wins including major wins at the North American Chuckwagon Championship in High River and the Ponoka Stampede Championship. Grant is a 2-time recipient of the WPCA's Most Improved Chuckwagon Outfit Award, was a participant in the WPCA & EnCana’s mentorship program for the 4H Foundation of Alberta the past 3 years, and was runner-up for the 1999 World Chuckwagon Championship. Grant and wife Shelly are big supporters of youth, including 4-H. Shelly will be the one holding the reins during the post-race drive by the Grandstand.

1999 – North American Champion

Mark Sutherland

Favourite Horse: Shady

Mark qualified for the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby's sudden death championship final heat for the first time in 2009. It was also Mark’s finest year as a chuckwagon driver as he qualified for two sudden death championship final heats and placed a career best 8th place in the World Standings. Mark's love for technology has enabled him as the pioneer of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology as a tool for chuckwagon training and was one of the featured drivers on OLN's award winning "Half Mile of Hell" series.

1996 – Orville Strandquist Rookie Award
2006 – Mullen Safety Award
2009 – SNC Lavalin Safety Award

Luke Tournier

Favourite Horse: Goldie

“Lightning Luke” is named for his explosiveness out of the barrels and speed on the track. In 2001 Luke’s family received the CPCA Family of the Year Award. He has twice won it all here at the GMC Rangeland Derby. Luke and his brother Léo are one of three brother combinations competing at the 2010 Calgary Stampede. He has had 4 horses named to the WPCA's Equine Outfit of Excellence in 5 years, and holds the track record at the Ponoka Stampede.

2005 & 2007 – Calgary Stampede Champion
2005 & 2007 – CS Aggregate Champion
2007 – Mullen Group Safety Award

Troy Dorchester

Troy has twice qualified for the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby's sudden death championship final heat in 1999 and 2000, and won the Calgary Stampede's Orville Strandquist Award for Top Rookie Driver in 1998. Troy follows in legendary footsteps as a third-generation chuckwagon driver. Troy drove his way to the Calgary Stampede finals in 1999 and 2000. A true Canadian, he enjoys golf and hockey in his spare time.

1998 – Orville Strandquist Rookie Award

Jim Knight

Favourite Horse: Robbie

Jim is tied with Buddy Bensmiller for the longest consecutive streak for active drivers here at the Calgary Stampede – 32 years in 2010.He twice qualified for the sudden death final heat for the CPCA Chuckwagon Championship and was the CPCA's Top Rookie Driver in 1977. He loves the excitement of the race, meeting racing fans and socializing.

2001 - Award for Excellence in Corporate Involvement
2002 – Guy Weadick Award

Ray Mitsuing

Favourite Horse: Gord

Ray was the 1992 Calgary Stampede Aggregate Champion and is consistently one of the CPCA’s top performers at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby. Ray is a 6-time CPCA Champion and a 3-time CPCA High Point Driver.Ray has twice won the CPCA Most Improved Driver Award, was the CPCA High Point Rookie Driver in 1983, and holds 9 CPCA track records.
Watch for Ray as he is a top contender and fan favorite here at the GMC Rangeland Derby. He has four sons – drivers Dean; Devin, who he will be competing against at Calgary this year; and Daren and Dale, both outriders.

1992 – CS Aggregate Champion

Vern Nolin

One of the CPCA's top chuckwagon drivers, Vern picked up the reigns at age 16. In 2009 he placed 2nd in the CPCA standings and is back in 2010 as a contender here at Calgary. While driving two outfits in 2006, Vern posted twenty top ten runs, including three first place runs and nine additional runs that cracked the top five. Vern is one of three partners in a commercial and residential contracting operation in and around the Meadow Lake area. Vern and his wife Karen have two children - Brett and Brendan.

2004 – CPCA Chuckwagon Family of the Year
2004 – CPCA Most Improved Driver

Wayne Knight

Favourite Horse: all of them

Wayne holds four track records within the CPCA. Nicknamed “Crafty,” Wayne practices natural health methods in his horse training regimen. Wayne was a finalist for the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby's sudden death championship final heat in 1998. Wayne was the CPCA’s High Point Rookie Driver in 1984,and twice received the CPCA’s Most Improved Driver Award

1999 & 2000 – CPCA Champion
2003 – Award for Excellence in Corporate Involvement

Chad Harden

Favourite Horse: Beaver

Chad is a third generation driver and the 2009 GMC Rangeland Derby Champion! He was the WPCA's Top Rookie Driver in 2000, and received the prestigious WPCA Chuckwagon Person of the Year Award in 2006. Chad introduced “Skippy the Squirrel” - chuckwagon racing’s first mascot and has participated annually in EnCana’s WPCA/4-H Mentorship Opportunity since its inception in 2005. Chad has qualified for the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby every year since he started competing.

2001 – Orville Strandquist Rookie Award

Hugh Sinclair

Favourite Horse: all of them

Hugh won his 4th career Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Championship, first WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship and added the Red Deer Chuckwagon Championship to his accomplishments in 2008. He has qualified for the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby's sudden death championship final heat four times and has gone undefeated.Hugh also holds the track record at Edmonton's Chuckwagon Derby.

1982 - WPCA Top Rookie Outrider
1986 - WPCA Most Improved Outriders
1998 - WPCA Most Improved Chuckwagon Outfit
2000 – CS Aggregate Champion
2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 - Calgary Stampede Champion

Rae Croteau Jr.

Favourite Horse: all of them

Rae is a third generation chuckwagon driver who’s father and grandfather are former Calgary Stampede finalists. Rae finds the thrill of racing in the adrenaline rush he gets at each race, and is fuelled to the finish line by his competitive spirit. He has had 3 horses named to the WPCA's Equine Outfit of Excellence and received the WPCA Showmanship Award for professionalism in 2002.

2003 & 2004 – Mullen Safety Award

Jerry Bremner

Jerry was the 1993 Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Champion, is co-holder of the Calgary Stampede track record, and outrode for 3 Calgary Stampede Championship outfits. Jerry is a 3-time World Champion Chuckwagon Driver and won the 2006 WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship. Jerry has had 3 horses named to the WPCA Equine Outfit of Excellence, won the WPCA Clean Drive Award in 2003, received the WPCA's Top Rookie Driver in 1984, the WPCA's Most Improved Chuckwagon Outfit in 1987, and was the 1986 World Champion Outrider.

1993 – Calgary Stampede Champion

Mike Vigen

Favourite Horse: all of them

The “Little Grizzly” is a second generation driver with four World Champion outrider buckles to his name. Mike thinks the most exciting part of racing is the adrenaline he gets every time the horn sounds. Mike holds the track record at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club Derby. He is a 2nd generation driver, whose Father was 5-time World Champion Ralph Vigen, and Mike is the father of the 2004 World Champion Outrider, Chanse Vigen.

1993 – Orville Strandquist Rookie Award
1998 – Mullen Group Safety Award

Kurt Bensmiller

Favourite Horse: Pappy

Kurt is the youngest driver in WPCA history to qualify two wagons into a single sudden death championship final heat. He had a great year in 2009, finishing a personal best 9th place in the 2009 World Standings. A two-sport athlete, Kurt also played two years of Junior A Hockey for the Bentley Generals.

2001 - WPCA Most Improved Outfit Award
2002 – Orville Strandquist Rookie Driver Award
2007 - WPCA Clean Drive Award

Roger Moore

Favourite Horse: Stinson

Roger has outrode for two Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Championship Outfits and four Calgary Stampede Aggregate winners. He was the CPCA High Point Rookie Driver in 1994. He has won five career CPCA show championships including the Cold Lake show in 2008 and is an eight-time CPCA Champion Chuckwagon Driver. He knows spending time with family is important and his favorite thing to do on a day off is taking his son to hockey.

1997 – Orville Strandquist Rookie Award
2007 – CPCA Family of the Year

Reg Johnstone

Known as the “Bashaw Flash”, Reg earned his nickname by setting numerous track records including the ‘old track’ record here at Calgary. Reg is consistently one of the top performers at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby placing inside the top ten or better 12 times. Reg was the World Champion Chuckwagon Driver and won the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship in 2005 becoming the first and only man in history to capture both championships in the same year. He has had 2 horses named to the WPCA's Equine Outfit of Excellence.

2005 – World Champion
2005 – WPCA Tour Champion

Obrey Motowylo

Favourite Horse: Reno

Obrey is competing in his second Stampede and comes to Calgary with experience in the Western Chuckwagon Association, the CPCA and the WPCA. He came close to taking home the 2009 World Championship, finishing 2nd. Obrey had a horse named to the WPCA's Equine Outfit of Excellence in 2008, and was the CPCA's High Point Rookie Driver in 2005.

2009 - Orville Strandquist Rookie Award

Tim Haroldson

Favourite Horse: Pepper

Tim has been awarded multiple CPCA show awards for Best Dressed Chuckwagon. He has won 5 CPCA show championships in his career including 2 Wainwright Stampede championships, 2 Colonial Days Fair championships, and the CPCA Lloydminster Finals. He was scheduled to compete at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby for the first time in 2004, until a pre-show injury prevented him from driving that year. 2009 saw Tim rejoin the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour since 2002.

2000 - Award for Excellence in Corporate Involvement

Troy Flad

Favourite Horse: Flying 90

In 2009 Troy qualified for his second career sudden death championship final heat at Edmonton’s Chuckwagon Derby at the Dodge World Chuckwagon Championships. Troy posted his first career first place run in a major chuckwagon event at Edmonton’s Chuckwagon Derby in 2007.
The “Mello Yello Fello” is back for a third time at the Calgary Stampede. Troy has been driving chuckwagons over half his life and has a dedicated interest in the history of racing. Troy loves the energy he feels from the fans that come to watch.

2003 – WPCA Showmanship Award

Shane Nolin

Favourite Horse: Braff

Shane started driving chuckwagons when he was 19 years old. He is a perennial contender for the CPCA championship and stays involved with his family by coaching their hockey teams. He also enjoys horse racing and any other adrenaline sports.

2002 - CPCA Most Improved Driver in 2002
2004 - Award for Excellence in Corporate Involvement

Colt Cosgrave

2007 will be Colt's 3rd appearance at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby. 2006 will be a memorable year for Colt Cosgrave since not only did he win his first career show championship at the Red Deer World Finals, but he qualified to return to the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby for the first time since 2002. Colt was the top aggregate wagon and qualified for his first career sudden death championship final heat at the Battle of the North in Dawson Creek and one of his outriding horses, 'Rogue�?�, was named to the WPCA's Equine Outfit of Excellence. 2006 saw Colt post ten top ten runs including three first place runs and four additional runs that placed in the top five. He won the UFA Community Ambassador and DC Energy Services Clean Drive Awards for the 2006 Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede and drove the demonstration race at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby in 2005. A fourth-generation chuckwagon driver, his greatgrandfathers Tom Lauder and Dick Cosgrave, grandfathers Ron Glass and Bob Cosgrave, father Richard Cosgrave, uncle Tom Glass and cousin Jason Glass have combined for twelve World Championships, twenty-eight Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Championships and five Calgary Stampede Aggregate Championships. Colt is single and enjoys hockey and skiing in the off-season.

Darcy Flad

2007 will be Darcy's first appearance at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby and he will be one of two rookie drivers competing in 2007. 2006 was a breakout year for Darcy. He received the WPCA Most Improved Chuckwagon Outfit Award by improving seventeen spots in the World standings and qualifying for his first Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby. He posted fourteen top ten runs in 2006, including one first place run at the Colonial Days Fair in Lloydminster and five other runs that cracked the top five. He was the top aggregate wagon at the Colonial Days Fair, where he not only qualified for his second career sudden death final, but placed both his wagons into the top ten overall. He placed in the top ten overall at the Grande Prairie Stompede and Edmonton's Chuckwagon Derby and received the DC Energy Services Clean Drive Award at the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship in Strathmore. A second-generation chuckwagon man, Darcy was the 2004 WPCA Top Rookie Driver Award winner. Darcy began his chuckwagon career in 1986 as an outrider in the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association. He is the son of former Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Champion Herman Flad and older brother to fellow competitor Troy Flad. A rancher in the off-season, Darcy is a graduate of Olds College and has two children - Layne and Cheyenne-Jill. He lists hockey, rodeo, team roping and hunting among his other interests and hobbies. Darcy and Richelle make their home in Bodo, Alberta.

Logan Gorst

2009 will be Logan's first appearance at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Championship; he will be one of 3 rookie drivers competing for the Calgary Stampede's Orville Strandquist Award for Top Rookie Driver. Logan won his first career CPCA show championship in 2008 capturing the Turtleford Chuckwagon Championship and won the CPCA High Point Rookie Driver Award. He outrode for 2 Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby Championship Outfits, 2 Calgary Stampede Aggregate winners, and is a 4-time CPCA Champion Outrider.

Ross Knight

A popular and personable driver from the CPCA circuit, 2007 will be Ross's 13th appearance at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby. He has won three career show championships at the Regina Buffalo Days Derby, the St. Walburg Chuckwagon Championship and the Saskatoon Exhibition Derby and also outrode for three Calgary Stampede Aggregate winners. Ross is a fourtime CPCA Outrider Champion and received the CPCA's Most Sportsmanlike Driver Award in 1994. Nicknamed 'Skinny', Ross enjoyed his best year on the CPCA circuit in 2005, posting two show wins and qualifying for the sudden death final heat for the CPCA Chuckwagon Championship as well. He was one of just two drivers to race penalty free for all ten days at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby in 2004. Driving two outfits in 2006, Ross posted thirteen top ten runs including seven runs that cracked the top five. He finished in the top ten overall at the Little Pine Chuckwagon Championship, the Cold Lake Chuckwagon Championship, Meadow Lake Stampede, Saskatoon Exhibition Derby and the CPCA Lloydminster Finals. Ross and his wife Gail have two children - Casey and Carlee, who travel to all the shows with Ross supporting him in any way they can and helping him as his barn crew. Fourteen year-old Casey has already been spotted in the wagon box with his dad and may even start outriding this year.

Layne Bremner

Cliff Cunningham

Lincoln Douglas

Jordie Fike

Jamie Laboucane