Professional chuckwagon races held in Whitecourt Woodlands Rodeo

 

The 2018 Whitecourt Woodlands Rodeo was held from Friday, June 22 through Sunday, June 24 at the Eagle River Casino Events Centre located at the Westward Community Centre on Highway 32. The jam-packed, three-day event featured professional chuckwagon races from the Western Chuckwagon Association Pro Tour for the very first time.

 

“The horses are the athletes in what we do. We steer them, hopefully, in the right direction and away from knocking over a barrel, but they are the true athletes,” explained chuckwagon rider Erik Tremblay who hails from Sexsmith, Alberta. He has been racing chuckwagons in the Western Chuckwagon Association for a decade now and first began the sport when he was 16. He was one of 14 chuckwagon drivers who took part in the Whitecourt races. “At some of our bigger shows, we will have around 20 chuckwagons competing. We consider ourselves the working club because most of our guys have jobs all week and then race on the weekends. We don’t just do this for a living; we do this because its fun and we like doing it,” he said.

 

The chuckwagon races brought out loud cheers from the grandstands and when asked if they can hear the fans while racing, Tremblay said they often can. “You can hear the fans on the home stretch as you are coming home. With a good race, you can hear the fans cheering back at the barns, and then you know that it was a close race just based on the crowd and how much they enjoyed it.”

 

Throughout the weekend spectators were treated to many events which showcased the hard work and determination of the athletes. Barrel racing, pony races, bareback, steer riding, bull riding, breakaway ropers, and mutton busting were just some of the events that took place. Competitors of all ages, some as young as six, put on a great show for the crowd.

 

On Saturday, the day started with breakfast at the Westward Hall ahead of the Rodeo Market. In the hall parking lot, there were beautiful rides lined up for attendees to check out as part of the annual car show. There were also several entertainers throughout the rodeo including singers Brenda Dirk and Nate Cunningham and the hilarious rodeo clowns who had sides splitting each day.

 

At one point, one of the clowns attempted a magic show which was less about magic and more about being completely goofy and the crowd ate it up. There’s a reason the clowns are a top favourite. The big bonus of the weekend was that the sun held off the rain which kept the ground from becoming a sloppy mess. “It’s a good track and a nice facility here,” said Tremblay. “We are looking to grow the sport and will need more shows to do that. This was an excellent show.”