High River, Alta. to host chuckwagon racing after Calgary Stampede snub
Chuckwagon drivers will descend on High River, Alta. for two weekends in July for a tournament created following the cancellation of this year's Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby.
The World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA) has announced the 2021 Battle of the Foothills will be held at the High River Agricultural Society Grounds on July 16-18 and July 23-25.
The announcement is welcome news for a chuckwagon racing community that has struggled to survive. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the cancellation of the majority of the racing calendar over the last year-and-a-half.
More than $150,000 in prize money will be up for grabs in High River, but organizers anticipate the pot will grow as there's been an outpouring of offerings of support from the public and corporate sponsors.
Details regarding the size of the field have not been confirmed but the WPCA says the top eight drivers after the first four days of racing will advance and compete in the final two heats of Saturday's semi-finals. The drivers with the four fastest times from those heats will advance to Sunday's championship race.
Every heat on championship Sunday will be a 'dash for cash' with drivers competing for additional prize money.
In late May, the Calgary Stampede announced its preliminary plans for the 2021 edition of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth but the Rangeland Derby was noticeable in its absence.
Stampede officials said the decision to eliminate chuckwagon racing from this year's event was due to concerns regarding animal welfare — a move supported by the Calgary Humane Society — as a direct result of the lack of a racing season ahead of the Stampede. Several drivers took offence with the claims that they would jeopardize the safety of their horses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.