For WPCA drivers, one of the biggest thrills of chuckwagon racing begins long before the first horn sounds. It happens during spring training, when anticipation builds around recently purchased off-the-track horses learning to pull a wagon for the very first time.
While the veteran horses that were turned out to pasture after the final race of the 2025 season already know the job, they still need time to get back into training, rebuild their fitness, and prepare for the demands of racing.
For drivers, spring training is one of the most rewarding parts of the year. It’s a chance to get back in the barn, reconnect with their horses, put in the work, and begin shaping the teams they hope will carry them through the season.
It can also be challenging, and at times frustrating, as momentum starts to build, only to have Mother Nature slow things down. Fields, tracks, and pens can quickly go from green grass and dry dirt to standing water and mud.
While that adds extra work for the teams, it’s nothing new, especially during race season when a night of rain can turn the track wet and muddy in a hurry. Behind the scenes is where the real work happens, washing horses, cleaning tack, scrubbing wagons, and doing whatever it takes to be ready for the next day.
But that’s wagon life.
And no matter what spring has thrown at them, the countdown is almost over. On May 27, the horn will sound in Grande Prairie, Alberta, for Night 1 of the 2026 WPCA Pro Tour.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY to watch the Grande Prairie Stompede and 29 Race Night from the 2026 WPCA Pro Tour live and on demand at watch.wpca.com
