Jason Glass Is All Smiles As He Emerged As The Top Selling Driver At The Rangeland Derby Presented By Play Alberta Chuckwagon Canvas Auction
Photo By Billy Melville
The world needed a feel good story and it certainly got one tonight at the Big Four Roadhouse on Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta. It was an exciting and eventful night as the 45th Annual Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon presented by Play Alberta Canvas Auction not only took place, but exceeded all expectations.
If the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon Canvas Auction is any indication, things are looking exceptional for the Calgary economy. The 2025 sale was an incredible success with the highest Average Bid ever seen in the 45-year history of the event. $142,222.22 was the average bid placed on each of the 27 participating drivers, exceeding the previous record of $111,528.00 by nearly $27,000.00/canvas set last year in 2024.
The auction was the third highest total in history, bringing in a whopping $3.84 million dollars with twenty-four of the twenty-seven drivers exceeding the $100,000.00 mark. Defending Rangeland Derby Champion Jason Glass was the sale topper as Birchcliff Energy Ltd. won the high bid of the sale at $230,000.00, $20,000.00 above 2024’s top bid of $210,000.00 for former Rangeland Derby Champion Kris Molle. The low bid for the sale was $75,000.00, down just $5,000.00 from last year’s record high for the low bid of $80,000.00.
As defending champion said to former WPCA Media Award Winner Laurence Heinen, “A fantastic sale. With what’s going on in the world today, it’s amazing the sport of chuckwagon racing has the support of Alberta and the local community and companies that we do and it’s been ongoing for a lot of years,” explained Glass. “Each year everybody kind of wonders where it’s going to go and it’s just amazing as a wagon driver that people really appreciate the western heritage and what these horses can (do) and the fans and just the whole enjoyment of watching such a unique sport. It really is amazing that we have the support that we do have.”
There will be one more Chuckwagon Canvas Auctions involving WPCA drivers. The first will be on Friday, May 2, 2025, for the Ponoka Stampede at the Stagecoach Saloon on the Ponoka Stampede Grounds in Ponoka, Alberta. Check wpca.com for further details this coming week.
Billy Melville
Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon presented by Play Alberta Canvas Auction Results
| Driver | Sponsor | Amount Bid |
| Jason Glass | Birchcliff Energy Ltd. | $230,000.00 |
| Kurt Bensmiller | Grey Eagle Resort and Casino | $220,000.00 |
| Kris Molle | Graf Mechanical Ltd. | $210,000.00 |
| Layne MacGillivray | Shady Creek Ranch | $190,000.00 |
| Evan Salmond | De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. | $160,000.00 |
| Wade Salmond | De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. | $160,000.00 |
| Chanse Vigen | Lethbridge Lodging Association | $150,000.00 |
| Chad Fike | Steelhaus Technologies Inc. | $150,000.00 |
| Preston Faithful | De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. | $150,000.00 |
| Jamie Laboucane | Panorama Advisory Group | $150,000.00 |
| Obrey Motowylo | Shel-Bar Electronic Industries Ltd. | $150,000.00 |
| Rae Croteau Jr. | Bar L-5 Ranch | $150,000.00 |
| Ross Knight | MobSquad | $145,000.00 |
| Logan Gorst | International Petroleum Corp. | $140,000.00 |
| Darcy Flad | Vista Properties Limited | $135,000.00 |
| Dayton Sutherland | Truman Homes | $135,000.00 |
| Chance Bensmiller | EllisDon | $135,000.00 |
| Mitch Sutherland | Marlin Resources Ltd. | $135,000.00 |
| Cody Ridsdale | Shaw GMC Chevrolet Buick | $130,000.00 |
| Chance Flad | Meguinis Enterprises Business Ranch | $120,000.00 |
| Troy Dorchester | MobSquad | $120,000.00 |
| Danny Ringuette | The Brakeman Foundation | $120,000.00 |
| Dustin Gorst | International Petroleum | $110,000.00 |
| Dallas Dyck | Stoney Nakoda Nations | $100,000.00 |
| Chance Thomson | VIP YYC | $95,000.00 |
| Todd Baptiste | MobSquad | $75,000.00 |
| D.J. King | Valentine Volvo | $75,000.00 |
| Total Amount Bid | $3,840,000.00 | |
| Average Bid | $142,222,22 | |
| Median Bid | $140,000.00 | |
| High Bid | $230,000.00 | |
| Low Bid | $75,000.00 | |
| 2024 Total | $3,115,000.00 | |
| Difference Over 2024 | $725,000.00 |
