Jamie Laboucane (C) Has A Big Wave And A Big Smile After Taking the High Bid At The Ponoka Stampede Chuckwagon Canvas Auction As Are WPCA Track Announcer Les McIntyre (L) And World Champion Auctioneer Danny Skeels (R).
The second last chuckwagon canvas auction for the 2024 WPCA Pro Tour presented by GMC took place for one of chuckwagon racing’s premier events – the Ponoka Stampede – on Friday, May 3, 2024 at the Stagecoach Saloon on the Ponoka Stampede grounds in Ponoka, Alberta.
Prime advertising space was available on the wagons of the best 32 chuckwagon drivers, in the world today plus two Wildcard Wagons plus 4 Wildcard Drivers on chuckwagon racing’s predominant racing circuit. If all of the chuckwagon canvas auctions in 2024 are an indication of the economic conditions year, the Ponoka Stampede outdid themselves as the combined sale total was a record total for Ponoka Stampede at $576,500.00.
It was a tremendous sale to say the least, up $23,500.00 over the now previous record total of $553,000.00 set just last year. The top bid of the night went to 2023 Reserve World Champion Jamie Laboucane when Pidherney’s paid $32,000.00 for the six day show that starts June 26, 2024. The average bid was $15,361.11, with the median bid at $15,50 0.00. The low bid for the sale was an even $7,000.00.
Earlier in the day it was announced that the WPCA World Chuckwagon Finals, which had been previously held at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, now will be held at the Ponoka Stampede Grounds from August 28 to September 1, 2024. A chuckwagon canvas auction for the WPCA World Chuckwagon Finals will be held, but dates are undetermined at this time.
In less than one month, the wagons roll into Grande Prairie, Alberta with the first stop on the WPCA Pro Tour presented by GMC from May 29 – June 2, 2024 with the running of the Grande Prairie Stompede. Check wpca.com for further details.
Billy Melville
| 2024 Ponoka Stampede Canvas Auction Results | ||
| Driver | Sponsor | Amount Bid |
| Jamie Laboucane | Pidherney’s | $32,000.00 |
| Chanse Vigen | Grind Energy Services | $30,000.00 |
| Wade Salmond | VJV Livestock Marketing Group | $28,000.00 |
| Kurt Bensmiller | Versatile Energy Services Ltd. | $28,000.00 |
| Jason Glass | Birchcliff Energy Ltd. | $25,000.00 |
| Rae Croteau Jr. | TeKh Group Inc. | $25,000.00 |
| Troy Dorchester | Team Rig & Supply/PureChem Services | $22,000.00 |
| Cody Ridsdale | CMT Ventures Inc. | $21,000.00 |
| Dustin Gorst | Century Downs Racetrack and Casino | $20,000.00 |
| Obrey Motowylo | The Co-operators | $19,000.00 |
| Doug Irvine | Silent Ice | $18,500.00 |
| Evan Salmond | De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. | $18,000.00 |
| Layne MacGillivray | Friends of MacGillivray Chuckwagon Team | $18,000.00 |
| Chad Fike | TOMCO Group of Companies | $18,000.00 |
| Jordie Fike | Earth Drilling Co. Ltd. | $18,000.00 |
| Chance Flad | Calnash Trucking | $16,000.00 |
| Wild Card #4 | K & H Developments | $16,000.00 |
| Darcy Flad | Darcy Powlik Realty Inc. | $15,500.00 |
| Wild Card #1 | Optimum Equipment Solutions | $15,500.00 |
| Ross Knight | WP Koda Holdings | $14,000.00 |
| Wild Card #2 | Friends Of Baptiste Racing | $14,000.00 |
| Layne Flad | Quick Moves Concrete Pumping Ltd. | $12,000.00 |
| Roger Moore | Red Deer Lock & Safe Ltd. | $11,000.00 |
| Kris Molle | Eagle Builders | $10,000.00 |
| Mitch Sutherland | Morskate Manufacturing | $10,000.00 |
| Chance Thomson | Prostrate Cancer Centre | $10,000.00 |
| Chance Bensmiller | Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre Donated By the McWilliam Family | $10,000.00 |
| Tuff Dreger | Reinhart Oilfield Services Ltd. | $10,000.00 |
| Dayton Sutherland | Sutherland Racing Inc. | $10,000.00 |
| Dean Dreger | Irvine’s Tack and Western Wear | $10,000.00 |
| Cruise Bensmiller | Stormy River Ranch | $10,000.00 |
| Wild Card #3 | Midwest Propane | $10,000.00 |
| Troy Flad | Central Alberta Tile One | $9,000.00 |
| Kirk Sutherland | Benchmark Commodities Ltd. | $8,000.00 |
| Josh Hrynyk | Quick Mats Ltd. | $8,000.00 |
| Evan Magee | 77 Stables | $7,000.00 |
| Total Amount Bid | $576,500.00 | |
| Average Bid | $16,013.89 | |
| Median Bid | $15,500.00 | |
| High Bid | $32,000.00 | |
| Low Bid | $7,000.00 | |
| 2023 Total | $553,000.00 | |
| Difference Over 2023 | $23,500.00 | |
