The Sale Toppers At The 2022 Ponoka Stampede Chuckwagon Canvas Auction
L-R:: WPCA Track Announcer Les McIntyre, Driver Wade Salmond,
World Champion Auctioneer Danny Skeels, Driver Kurt Bensmiller
Photo By Billy Melville
The final chuckwagon canvas auction for the 2022 WPCA Pro Tour took place for one of chuckwagon racing’s premier events – the Ponoka Stampede – on Friday, May 6, 2022 at the Stagecoach Saloon on the Ponoka Stampede grounds in Ponoka, Alberta. Prime advertising space was available on the wagons of the best 34 chuckwagon drivers in the world today, plus two Wild Card Spots on chuckwagon racing’s predominant racing circuit. Overall it was a very good sale as the 2022 total was a very strong $389,750.00.
Four-time World and former Ponoka Stampede Champion Kurt Bensmiller and third year driver Wade Salmond were the sale toppers taking in $20,000.00 each from Versatile Energy Services and Vold, Jones & Vold Auction Co. Ltd. respectively. This was $5,000.00 below the top bid from the last Ponoka Stampede sale held in 2019. The low bid was $6,000.00 which equaled the low bid from 2019. The average bid was $10,826.39, with the median bid at an even $9,000.00 which was the same as the 2019 median bid. The overall total was up $13,500.00 above the 2019 total.
Before the festivities began, buckle presentations were made to the 2021 World Champions and Top Rookies. 2021 World Champion Chuckwagon Driver Obrey Motowylo, 2021, World Champion Outrider Hayden Motowylo, 2021 WPCA Top Rookie Outrider Nolan Cameron and 2021 WPCA Top Rookie Driver Chance Thomson all received beautiful Olson Silver Belt Buckles commemorating their achievements in 2021.
In less than one month, the wagons roll into Grande Prairie, Alberta with the first stop on the WPCA Pro Tour from May 25 – 31, 2022 with the running of the Grande Prairie Stompede. Live coverage of all 50 days of the 2021 WPCA Pro Tour can be heard on Rural Radio on SiriusXM Channel 147 Satellite Radio.
Billy Melville
| Driver | Sponsor | Amount Bid |
| Kurt Bensmiller | Versatile Energy Solutions Ltd. | $20,000.00 |
| Wade Salmond | Vold, Jones & Vold Auction Co. Ltd. | $20,000.00 |
| Layne MacGillivray | League Projects | $19,000.00 |
| Dustin Gorst | Century Downs Racetrack and Casino | $19,000.00 |
| Codey McCurrach | TOMCO Group of Companies | $18,000.00 |
| Troy Flad | 5 Star Propane Ltd. | $18,000.00 |
| Troy Dorchester | Team Rig & Supply/PureChem Services | $18,000.00 |
| Obrey Motowylo | Co-operators | $16,000.00 |
| Dean Dreger | Northern Mat & Bridge | $16,000.00 |
| Doug Irvine | Silent Ice Sports & Entertainment | $14,000.00 |
| Vern Nolin | McCaw’s Drilling & Blasting Ltd. | $12,000.00 |
| Tuff Dreger | Reinhart Oilfield Services Ltd. | $11,000.00 |
| Chance Thomson | Thorsby Stockyards | $10,750.00 |
| Jordie Fike | Irvine’s Saddles & Western Wear | $10,000.00 |
| Dayton Sutherland | Sutherland Racing | $9,250.00 |
| Kris Molle | Eagle Builders | $9,000.00 |
| Cody Ridsdale | Rai-Lynn Trucking Ltd. | $9,000.00 |
| Evan Salmond | Wheeler’s Transport (2001) Ltd. | $9,000.00 |
| Darcy Flad | Wetaskiwin Ready Mix | $9,000.00 |
| Chad Fike | Calnash Trucking Ltd. | $9,000.00 |
| Chance Bensmiller | Tim Wilson | $9,000.00 |
| Mark Sutherland | Pidherney’s | $8,500.00 |
| Kirk Sutherland | Morskate Manufacturing | $8,000.00 |
| Jason Glass | Birchcliff Energy Ltd. | $8,000.00 |
| Chance Flad | Aspen Cross | $8,000.00 |
| Derek Aebly | SECURE Energy Services | $7,750.00 |
| Chad Harden | Image Distributors | $7,500.00 |
| Layne Flad | Quick Moves Concrete Pumping Ltd. | $7,500.00 |
| Roger Moore | Bobcat of Camrose | $7,000.00 |
| Chanse Vigen | Busted Ladies Lingerie | $6,500.00 |
| Mitch Sutherland | Pride of Ponoka | $6,000.00 |
| Josh Hyrnyk | Longscore Saloon | $6,000.00 |
| Kelly Morin | Morin’ Ever – Jeff & Julie DeSutter | $6,000.00 |
| Roy Romanow | Pride of Ponoka | $6,000.00 |
| Wildcard #1 | Benchmark Commodities Ltd. | $6,000.00 |
| Wildcard #2 | Canadian Premium Meats Inc. | $6,000.00 |
| Total Amount Bid | $389,750.00 | |
| Average Bid | $10,826.39 | |
| Median Bid | $9,000.00 | |
| High Bid | $20,000.00 | |
| Low Bid | $6,000.00 | |
| 2019 Total | $376,250.00 | |
| Difference Over 2019 | $13,500.00 |
