Keith Wood came into the Red Deer Motors North American pony chuckwagon championships with a goal in sight.
Wood entered the 2013 event at the Westerner Days with seven North American titles under his belt and tied for first overall with Jim Pollitt.
The Saddle Lake cowboy charged into first place overall after the second day of the five-day championship thanks to a slight miscue by his son Curtis.
Curtis recorded the fastest time of the day on the C4Ever Consulting wagon of Red Deer with a running time of one minute 16.49 seconds, but was given a ahead of the barrel two second penalty, which moved him down into fourth place overall at 2:36.21.
Meanwhile his father Keith didn’t have the same barrel turn as Curtis, but a spectacular home stretch charge moved him into second in the final heat of the evening on his Uncle Ben’s RV rig with a time of 1:16.90 and first overall at 2:34.92.
Curtis Hogg, who is second on the tour standings, had the best time in the heat and best overall at 1:16.71 and sits third at 2:36.07 with his Kellough Enterprises outfit of Red Deer.
Defending champion Gary Thiel and the Pumps and Pressure rig of Red Deer, came in with a 1:17.19 clocking and is second overall at 2:35.74.
Rene Salmond, who now calls Houston, Tex., home, sits in fifth place overall at 2:37.05 following a time of 1:18.34 while the Wei’s Westerner Wear wagon of Red Deer, driven by Louis Johner had a clocking of 1:18.13 and is in sixth at 2:37.38.
Salmond and Johner were part of one of the best finishes of the day. They joined Neil Salmond and the ABC Country Restaurant wagon and Marvin Hubl on the Eldorado Pressure Services rig of Rocky Mountain House to all finish within 69/100ths of a second.
Hubl is 11th overall at 2:38.48 after a time of 1:18.53.
Brian Miller and the Westerner Park Board of Directors wagon is in seventh place at 2:37.43 following a time of 1:18.62 with Jack Stott and the Rai-Lynn Trucking rig of Lacombe eighth at 2:37.50, following a time of 1:17.85.
Chris Spreen, who has the Trojan Safety Services canvas on his wagon, moved up one spot to ninth overall at 2:38.04 after a time of 1:18.59 while Wade Salmond had a time of 1:18,.13 and is 10th at 2:38.10 with the Nossack Fine Meats sponsored wagon.
Colby Arcand and the Triple Fox Energy Services outfit of Calgary is 12th at 2:38.90 after a running time of 1:18.67.
Action continues today and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with the finals slated for 2 p.m. Sunday.