Reg Johnstone
July 18, 1948 – January 5, 2026
Photos Courtesy of Paul & Carol Easton
The World Professional Chuckwagon Association is grieving the passing of former competitor Reg Johnstone, who passed away after a lengthy illness on Monday, January 5, 2026, at the age of 77.
Reg Johnstone was born on July 18, 1948, with chuckwagon racing in his blood. His uncles were the legendary Lyster brothers—Oris, Argyll, Erwin, and Jack—four of the five outriders who carried Alvan Hilker to the Calgary Stampede championship in 1945. All four later competed as drivers and/or outriders from the 1940s through the 1960s, leaving an indelible mark on the sport.
Long after his uncles had retired, Reg began driving chariots in the mid-1970s rather than chuckwagons. That changed in 1976 when he received a call from legendary driver Orville Strandquist, who encouraged him to bring an outfit to the Drumheller Stampede. With four horses, a set of harness, and a wagon borrowed from former driver John Crawford, Reg paid the $10 entry fee, secured a $150 sponsorship from the local 7-Eleven, and drove his first chuckwagon race on June 30, 1976. His opening run ended with a jack-knifed rig stuck in the infield. But on his second run he placed seventh on the day and earned a $49 cheque. Chuckwagon great Tom Dorchester later told Reg that had he not won any money that day, he probably would have quit.
Following Drumheller, Dave Rumsay invited Reg to head north to race in the Peace Country. Reg agreed and spent the summer racing up north, and while he didn’t win a show, he raced competitively and returned home with $3,500. It was the beginning of a remarkable career.
Over the next three seasons, Reg competed as a permit holder with the Canadian Rodeo Cowboys Association (CRCA). In 1978, he won the first show championship of his career at the Teepee Creek Stampede, and made his first appearance at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Reg took out full professional membership in 1979. That season he placed second overall at Cheyenne Frontier Days and won in Great Falls, Montana. His momentum continued in 1980 with victories at the Valleyview Rodeo and the Grande Prairie County Fair. When drivers broke away from the professional cowboys association to form the World Professional Chuckwagon Association in 1981, Reg Johnstone was a founding member. He finished seventh overall and was one of only nine drivers invited to compete at the 1982 Calgary Stampede.
While 1982 is remembered for Dave Lewis’s dominance, Reg’s rookie performance at the Calgary Stampede was historic. He won a day money, recorded nine top-ten runs in ten days, and qualified for the Rangeland Derby Championship Final Heat.
The 1980s marked Reg Johnstone’s rise among the elite. He won 14 show championships during the decade and finished runner-up in the World Standings to Kelly Sutherland in 1983 and Dallas Dorchester in 1984. His first major career victory came in 1984 when he captured the North American Chuckwagon Championship in High River, setting the track record twice in three days.
In 1985, the Grande Prairie Stompede became the first WPCA event outside Calgary to adopt a championship final heat. Reg qualified two wagons into the championship final. Veteran Ralph Vigen drove Reg’s second outfit, but Reg—driving his No. 1 wagon—posted the fastest time of both the heat and the night, earning one of the marquee wins of his career.
The 1990s were bittersweet. Reg won nine shows over the decade, including major victories at the Ponoka Stampede (1990) and the Klondike Chuckwagon Derby (1997). However, he endured the longest winless stretch of his career from 1991 to 1993 and missed the Calgary Stampede in 1993 after 11 consecutive appearances. He returned in 1994 by setting a new track record, but finished the decade with only one top-ten finish in the World Standings.
The new millennium marked a resurgence. In 2000, Reg finished in the top five overall for the first time in a decade. He won twice in 2002, returned to the Calgary Stampede Championship Final in 2003, and captured his second Ponoka Stampede title in 2004.
The 2005 season became the crowning achievement of Reg Johnstone’s career. Wins at Medicine Hat and the Rocky Mountain Turf Club Derby positioned him for a World Championship battle. He successfully defended his Ponoka title, won the WPCA Tour Showcase at Strathmore, and—after years of close calls—was crowned World Champion Chuckwagon Driver, edging rival Kelly Sutherland. His right leader, Midnight Bob, was named Champion Right Leader and the highest-pointed horse of the season.
In 2006, Reg narrowly missed repeating as World Champion, losing the title to Sutherland by just two points—the closest margin in history. He qualified for his third Calgary Stampede Championship Final in 2007 and closed the decade with a second Medicine Hat victory in 2009.
By 2011, time was running short. Despite countless Stampede accomplishments, a Calgary championship still eluded him. That year, Reg captured the Richard Cosgrave Memorial Award as Calgary Stampede Aggregate Champion and received the Stampede Safety Award as well. In 2012, his horse Pamjet won the Calgary Equine Outfit of Excellence Award. Reg unknowingly ran his final race in 2013, as health issues ended his career before his final year of eligibility.
Following his career as a chuckwagon driver, Reg continued his involvement in chuckwagon racing as a judge for several years with both the WPCA and the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA). In 2016 Reg was honored by the WPCA with it’s Special Tribute Award.
Forty years after his humble debut in Drumheller, Reg Johnstone’s career stood as one of the greatest in chuckwagon history. Over 38 seasons, he won one World Championship, three equine awards, and 36 show championships. He was never handed success—he earned it through grit, instinct, and an extraordinary ability to drive horses.
Quite simply, Reg Johnstone built his legacy because he never hollered whoa, and will go down in history as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
To mourn his passing, cherish loving memories and remember special times are his common-law partner, Marilyn Openshaw; three children, Wade “Butch†Stewart, Barbara “Billy†Baines, and Jason (Jennifer) Johnstone; and four grandchildren, Brittany (Ricky) Soderburg, Chase (Evelyn) Soderburg, Cody Baines, and Samantha (Shawn) Stewart. Reg is also survived by his sister, Terry Gerber, nieces, nephews and extended family.
He was predeceased by his brother Ross Johnstone (1978), nephews Doran Johnstone (1978) and David Johnstone (1988), his father Lloyd Henry Johnson (2002) her mother Maxine (Lyster) Johnstone (2010), and his brother Daryl Johnstone (2023).
The family extends a heartfelt thank you to Marilyn for her exceptional care, companionship and love for such a strong-willed, high-spirited successful man.
A memorial service will be held at the Bashaw Community Centre on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 1 pm. Bring your memories and stories! A luncheon to follow. Memorial donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made to the Bashaw Multi 4-H Club at the service or by e-transfer to regjohnstonememorial@gmail.com, which was an organization dear to his heart and he was proud to support.
Reg Johnstone will be deeply missed by the WPCA, the entire chuckwagon community, and fans everywhere. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Johnstone family during this difficult time.
Billy Melville
