When the dust settled from this year’s Red Deer Motors North American Pony Chuckwagon Championships it was a familiar face that won it for the record eighth time.
Keith Wood in the Uncle Ben’s RV rig was the leader heading into Sunday’s final heat and went wire-to-wire for the best time on the final day for the win and the top prize at Westerner Park. The victory also moved him past Jim Pollitt for the most titles at the event.
“It is hard to put into words but thank God everything went nice,” said Wood who ran a 1:17.07 for a combined time of 6:26.30 during the five-day event.
“It’s very special for me as there have been some great drivers come through here like Jim Pollitt who is a legend in the sport. I have never raced with him but heard great things about him. I’m just glad to be able to have put some good runs together here over the years.”
Wood added that there are some great young drivers coming up in the sport and one of those was his son Curtis Wood in the C4Ever Consulting wagon who he was battling all week. Curtis was in second place heading into the final heat. A tough start dropped Curtis back to third after running a 1:19.11 and finishing with a total time of 6:29.72.
Keith said there was no rivalry and he told Curtis to ‘go for it’ and that these types of chances don’t come often.
“There’s some luck getting through the five days and if you get to the final you just have to give it your all,” said Keith.
Keith also couldn’t take all the credit as he had some good horses that were able to come from behind and close the gap in every race this week which were able to eventually carry them to a win.
The second best time on the afternoon went to Curtis Hogg in the Kellough Enterprises wagon who sat third going into the final heat and finished second overall after a 1:17.12 clocking for a total time of 6:27.12. Fourth overall with a time of 6:31.47 was defending champion Gary Thiel in the Pumps and Pressure rig after finishing third in the final heat with a time of 1:17.66.
Finishing fifth was Jack Stott and the Rai-Lynn Trucking wagon with a time of 6:31.96. Wade Salmond and his Nossack Fine Meats rig took sixth with a time of 6:33.05 while Louis Johner and the Wei’s Western Wear wagon had a time of 6:33.91 for seventh.
Eighth was the A-1 Rentals wagon driven by Lee Adamson who finished with a time of 6:33.94. Rene Salmond and the Paradise RV wagon got ninth place with a time of 6:34.44.
Rounding out the top ten was Marvin Hubl on the Eldorado Pressure Services rig finishing at 6:34.82.
Winning the Tom Jackson Memorial consolation final was Chance Thompson and the PureChem Services rig who beat out Ron Moar on the Alexander First Nations wagon, Lori Stott and the Goosehaven Charalois rig, and Albert Whiskeyjack and the Billy Bob Dance Hall wagon. The consolation final was the running of the fastest four wagons from the bottom 28 in the week.
When it comes down to winning another championship Wood said that he is not ruling out coming back for run at a ninth but added he has a strong passion for the sport and it will be hard for him to leave when it’s time.
He does have confidence that when he decides to park the wagon that his son and grandchildren will continue to race with passion he has had when winning all of these championships in Red Deer.