And . . . they’re off.
The 2011 North American Pony Chuckwagon Championship opened Wednesday at the Westerner track, with Wade Salmond from Weekes, Sask., posting the fastest time, a 1:17.15 in the final heat while aboard the Nossack Fine Meats wagon of Red Deer.
The top three times actually came from the final run — the 14th heat — as three-time champion Ray Adamson of Camrose crossed the line in 1:17.62 while running the Pidherney’s rig from Rocky Mountain House and Gary Theil of Sherwood Park recorded a time of 1:17.93 on the Red Deer Pumps & Pressure outfit.
Defending and seven-time champion Keith Wood of Saddle Lake was a hard-luck victim in the 14th heat, as one of his horses fell just out of the barrels. The horse was up in short order, but Wood, driving the Heartlake First Nation wagon from Lac la Biche, was tagged with a no-time.
Jim Lang of Killam, aboard the Red Deer Cal Frac Well Services wagon, had the fourth-best time of the evening — 1:18.31.
Two-time champion Louis Johner of Mayerthorpe, piloting the Red Deer Maaco wagon, was fifth in the opening run with a time of 1:18.83, while Neil Salmond of Weekes was sixth in 1:18.87 on the abc Country Restaurant rig of Red Deer.
Rounding out the top 10 were Curtis Wood of Saddle Lake (1:18.90, Blue Star Electrical of Red Deer Country), Brian Cardinal of Saddle Lake (1:19.21, Red Deer Appleway Dental Clinics), Dale Young of Olds (1:19.45, Calgary Flames Ambassadors) and Brice Quast of Sedgewick (1:19.51, Hotsy Cleaning Systems).
The North American Championship resumes today at 6 p.m. and concludes with Sunday’s final performance at 2 p.m.