Chanse Vigen – Fast Time For The Third Time This Week In Calgary
Photo By Shellie Scott
It was one-hundred years ago today when chuckwagon driver Jack Morton came of the rangeland into Calgary with his rip snorting bunch of cowboys and started the Stampede Breakfasts. One-Hundred years later Chanse Vigen rip snorted around the Calgary racetrack in the Cowboys Rangeland Derby and collected his third first-place cheque on the week with the fast run of night number seven.
Coming off barrel number 1 in the 9th heat, Vigen, driving the Subsurface Construction Corporation outfit won top money by a small 4 one-hundredths of a second over Mark Sutherland after posting the top time of 1;10.93. Darcy Flad had his best run of the week so far placing third, Kurt Bensmiller with his seventh consecutive top-five run was fourth, with Ross Knight filling out the top five on the night.
After seven runs, Kurt Bensmiller is increasing his lead in the overall aggregate standings with each run. Bensmiller’s seven-day total of 8:20.56 is now 3.22 seconds faster than reigning World Champion Layne MacGillivray, while day money winner Chanse Vigen is hanging on to third place overall. Rae Croteau Jr. moved up into fourth place overall , but is 1.34 seconds out of third hole, with 20223 Medicine Hat Stampede Champion Jamie Laboucane making out the top five overall after seven nights.
The top 3 in the aggregate after Saturday, July 15, 2023, will go into the championship final heat. The winner of the championship final heat will be declared the 2023 Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Champion.
Live coverage of day 8 of the 2023 Cowboys Rangeland Derby can be heard Friday night, July 14, 2023 on WPCA Radio starting 7:45pm Mountain time on Real Country 910am and can be seen on Sportsnet One starting at 8:30pm local time. Check your local listings.
Billy Melville
