After a fourth day of racing, the stage is set for Saturday’s chuckwagon showdown.
Kicking off the Friday evening festivities were the Kids’ Wild Poney Race and the final presentation by the Flying Cross Ranch Junior Jockey Club.
Then it was time for the chuckwagons to hit the track!
First up was the All-Pro Canadian Chuckwagon Circuit. Heading into the evening, Reed Rosencrans leads the aggregate with a score of 3:42.72 after three races. Garry Thiel, 3:43.45, and Lee Adamson, 3:43.51 rounded out the top three.
Eight heats later, there were some changes on the leaderboard. Adamson’s run of 1:11.81, the fasted time of the evening, was enough to bump him into first place in the aggregate with a total time of 4:55.32.
Gary Thiel was nipping at Adamson’s heels though, with a run of 1:12.72, which was enough to keep him locked into second place.
After four runs and a 1:113.81 run, Cole Adamson was bumped from third to sixth place in the aggregate, still good enough to punch his ticket to the Saturday semi-finals. Marvin Hubl’s 1:13.95 run, placing him fourth fastest for the evening, was enough to push him into third in the aggregate with a time of 4:58.54.
Rounding out the top eight in the All Pro Canadian Chuckwagon circuit are Herb Arcand, 5:01.35, Keith Wood, 5:03.90, Cole Adamson, 5:05.35, Kolton Thiel, 5:05.99, and Phil Arcand, 5:06.31.
These eight will be competing on Saturday to get to the top four.
Moving into the World Professional Chuckwagons, Chanse Vigen continued his unprecedented four-day sweep, winning Friday evening from barrel number three with a time of 1:14.30 in heat eight.
According to a media release from Billy Melville at the World Pro Chuckwagon circuit, it’s believed that Vigin’s four-day sweep, winning from all four barrel positions, is a first for the organization.
Vigin’s aggregate for the four days is 4:56.44.
The 2022 World Pro Chuckwagon Champion, Layne MacGillivray currently nips at Vigins heels after a day four 1:115.65 run and an aggregate of 5:02.34.
Rounding out the top three in the aggregate is Jamie Laboucane with a time of 5:03.48 after a day-four run of 1:114.51.
Joining the top three in the semi-finals are Ross Knight, 5:05.03, Evan Salmond, 5:05.26, Codey McCurrach, 5:05.78, Wade Salmond, 5:06.10, and Obrey Motowylo, 5:07.20.
The outcome of Saturday will set up a wild final on Sunday!
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Nose and nose; Troy Flad and Evan Magee tie with 1:17.39 on a clean run during World Professional Chuckwagon racing action. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media) Nose and nose; Troy Flad and Evan Magee tie with 1:17.39 on a clean run during World Professional Chuckwagon racing action. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
The heifer herd being raffled off was shown between the All Canadian and All World chuckwagons. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
Reed Rosencrans has tie-up entering the figure-eight, resulting in a time of 1:34.15. (Kevin Sabo/Black press Media)
Marvin Hubl navigates his team off the starting line, on his way to a second-place finish in heat number seven. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
It was standing room only during the Friday evening chuckwagon races. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
Rubin Arcand was ahead by a nose at the line, but a five-second penalty pushed him into second place in heat five. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
Luck was not with Linda Shippelt-Hubl, as a penalty moved her into last place in heat five of the All-Pro Canadian Chuckwagon tour. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
Wilfred Whiskeyjack takes his team through the first turn in the figure eight, on his way to a heat win with a time of 1:116.11. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
Cody Arcand, in the Sureline chuckwagon, crossed the line a nose ahead of Brent Lang, but due to a penalty ended up coming in last in the heat. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
Colby Arcand navigates his team through the first turn of the figure eight during the All Pro Canadian Chuckwagon action. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
Albert Whiskeyjack navigates his team to a win and a time of 1:17.76 in heat two of the All-Pro Canadian Chuckwagon on day five of the Ponoka Stampede. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
Martina Hubl in the Healthy Herds Feed Mill chuckwagon during day five of the Ponoka Stampede. (Kevin Sabo/Black Press Media)
