Ray Salmond
July 7, 1942 – June 17, 2023
The World Professional Chuckwagon Association is grieving the loss passing of former chuckwagon driver Ray Salmond on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at the age of 80 years.
As a member of the famous Salmond racing family, Ray was the great-grandson of a cattle dealer from Scotland, the grandson of a stage coach driver from Minnesota, and the son of a man who dealt horses all his life, it was only natural that Ray became of the first chuckwagon, Roman chariot and chariot drivers in eastern Saskatchewan.
Ray started driving pony chuckwagons as a Canadian Centennial project in 1967, and over the years was able to run wagons from Simcoe Ontario, Morris and Swan River, Manitoba to as far south as the Astrodome in Houston, Texas . After watching the thoroughbred chuckwagons at the Big M Stampede in Morris, Manitoba, he knew one day he would eventually move up to driving the big chuckwagons.
In 1988, Ray joined the Parkland Thoroughbred Chuckwagon Association and drove his first race with the big wagons at the Northwest Round-Up in Swan River, Manitoba, and would go on to win his first show there in 1990. In 1991 he successfully defended his title at the Northwest Round-Up, and placed in the top three overall at seven shows throughout Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In 1992 and 1993 he competed at the chuckwagon races in his hometown of Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan on a permit with the Northern Professional Chuckwagon Association (NPCA), now the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA), and in 1994 he joined the Peace Country Chuckwagon and Chariot Association (PCCCA) where he ran for three years, winning the PCCCA’s Most Improved Driver Award in 1996.
In 1997 Ray joined the World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA), and ran on the WPCA Second Circuit. In just his first year with the WPCA, he captured two show championships at Rio Grande, Alberta and Ft. St. John, British Columbia. He competed with the WPCA again in 1998 with the intention of going to the Qualification Run-Off for the WPCA Pro Tour at season’s end, but health reasons prevented him from doing so and he was not able to compete during the 1999 season. Ray returned to the WPCA in 2000 where won the North Peace Stampede in Grimshaw, Alberta, finished the year in third place in the WPCA Second Circuit standings, and retired from active competition at the end of the 2000 season.
Even after retiring, Ray stayed involved with chuckwagon racing in an active supporter role as a farrier, a horse trainer, and continued to help and travel with former drivers Bruce Ridsdale and Cliff Cunningham. Chuckwagon Racing took Ray all over the world where he met many interesting people, including entertainer Elvis Presley during one year when Ray was racing in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Over his career Ray was an inspiration and mentor to many up and coming young drivers including nephews, current WPCA drivers Wade and Evan Salmond.
Ray has left left to mourn his wife Sandy, children Milton (fiancé Sheryl) and Daron (Sasha), grandchildren Jay and Samantha, brothers Larry, Wayne, and Neil, sister Yvonne, and numerous nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Ray’s life will be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at 11:00am at the Weekes Recreation Centre in Weekes, Saskatchewan. Memorial donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan or to a charity of personal choice. Blair’s Funeral Home Ltd. – Porcupine Plain entrusted with arrangements. P.O. Box 524, 122 Elm Street, Porcupine Plain, SK S0E 1H0, Phone: 306-278-2202, Fax: 306-278-2922, Email: blairsfuneralhome@sasktel.net.
Ray will be missed by all in the WPCA, and we extend our sincere condolences to the Salmond family.
Billy Melville
