July 16, 2023 was a historic day for Layne MacGillivray, as he received the Calgary Stampede’s prestigious Guy Weadick Award, and then a few hours later he won his first COWBOYS Rangeland Derby Championship at the Stampede’s 100th Anniversary of Chuckwagon Racing. Layne became the first chuckwagon driver to take home both honours in the same year. He had a horse named to the Calgary Stampede’s Equine Athlete of Excellence for the second consecutive year, and closed out the 2023 season by winning both the Aggregate title and the Century Downs “WINNERS’ ZONE” Championship at the WPCA World Chuckwagon Finals.
2023 saw Layne post 38 top ten runs, including two day money runs and seventeen runs that also cracked the top five. He qualified for four championship final heats at the Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship, the Ponoka Stampede, the Calgary Stampede, and the Century Downs “WINNERS’ ZONE” Championship.
In 2022 Layne won the Richard Cosgrave Memorial Award symbolic of the Calgary Stampede Safety and Aggregate Champion, and captured his first career World Chuckwagon Championship by season’s end. He is a former winner of the WPCA’s Most Improved Driver in 2017, had a horse named to the WPCA Equine Outfit of Excellence in 2014, and was honored in 2009 with the WPCA highest annual award when he received the prestigious Chuckwagon Person of the Year Award.
As an outrider Layne won two Rangeland Derby Championships and one Calgary Stampede Aggregate title. Layne’s career began on the CPCA circuit where he was the CPCA’s Most Improved Driver in 2001, the CPCA’s High Point Rookie Driver in 2000, and twice was named the CPCA’s Most Sportsmanlike Driver. Layne and his wife Loreena have 2 children – Taygan and Trey – and now make their home in Halkirk, Alberta.
