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453:, cooks from 2 chuckwagons - who upon completion of serving a barbecue in front of the grandstand - loaded up their chuckwagons and raced down the track to see who could get to the exit gates first much to the pleasure of the grandstand crowd. Others claim that "Sundown" or "Wildhorse" Jack Morton, an original participant in the first official races, was the one who suggested the idea to
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249:, each summer the WPCA organizes its race season, which is known as the WPCA Pro Tour. It is the most senior and highest level of professional chuckwagon racing in the world, offering the richest purses and highest tarp prices on any other recognized chuckwagon association. Also, outside of the WPCA Pro Tour, WPCA chuckwagon drivers race for ten days at the
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saw match races at the 1922 Gleichen (Alberta) Stampede between farm wagons pulled by 4 horses. Or, growing up on cattle ranches, Weadick witnessed many impromptu races between ranch outfits at the end of a round-up where the wagons would race to the nearest town saloon and the last ones there had to
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Over the years, rules and equipment have been altered but the one thing that has remained consistent is that the chuckwagon races are one of the most exciting forms of entertainment available to the public at large. The success of the first races of 1923 saw many other communities throughout
Alberta
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The biggest names in the sport's history have all raced with the WPCA or its predecessors (Cowboys
Protective Association (CPA), Canadian Rodeo Cowboys Association (CRCA), Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA)). Some of the notable active drivers that have each won a World Championship
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The WPCA board of directors is made up of elected officers and driver directors with a long-term goal of providing full-time employment for the chuckwagon drivers. The officers of the WPCA are a volunteer advisory group handling the day-to-day business of the association.
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where ranch outfits would meet 4 miles from town, the mayor would ride out and start the race to the centre of town where the first outfit there got the best camping spot the town could offer. There were also the stories from the great land rushes in
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Channel 147, with several thousands more outside the listening area tuning in over the internet via the official WPCA website at halfmileofhell.com or wpca.com. The popularity of WPCA chuckwagon racing inspired a web-based video reality series on
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as a professional sport throughout North
America and the world. The WPCA is a close-knit community that mentors its new drivers in safety and professionalism to preserve the integrity of the WPCA and chuckwagon racing in general.
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with just 6 outfits participating. Race rules, for all intents and purposes, were originally non-existent and were added every night of that first competition.
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racing called "Half Mile of Hell". Prior to being a web-video series, "Half Mile of Hell" was a reality based television program on the
Outdoor Life Network (
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and abroad adding chuckwagon races to their local rodeos and fairs in the years to follow. This became the basis of the WPCA Pro Tour as we know it today.
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While the origin of chuckwagon racing is debated, the idea of staging a chuckwagon race as an actual "event" was dreamed up by
Calgary Stampede founder
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and business people with an interest in preserving western heritage and providing family entertainment. The WPCA promotes and presents
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Whether it one single event of a combination of events that inspired the dream, what matters most is that the dream was realized by
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Colonial Days Fair, an optional meet between both associations for drivers who did not qualify for the
Calgary Stampede
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Former
Calgary Stampede arena director Jack Dillon recalled a customary gathering of pioneers and cattlemen in
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The 2020 WPCA Pro Tour is composed of 41 race days over 8 cities and towns at the following locations:
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Rangeland Derby is broadcast to an estimated audience of 250,000 per night on satellite radio via
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Chuckwagon racing is the 3rd biggest spectators sport in
Alberta behind hockey and pro football
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Rangeland Derby in
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According to John Down, Alberta Sports Hall of Fame sportswriter for the
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Official website of the World
Professional Chuckwagon Association
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The most popular thought is that at the 1919 Victory Stampede in
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and/or Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Championship are
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75:World Professional Chuckwagon Association
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320:Popularity of WPCA Chuckwagon Racing
686:Sports governing bodies in Alberta
644:. www.stampede.coolattractions.com
517:. www.stampede.coolattractions.com
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490:"WPCA Official Site - Schedule"
430:buy the first round of drinks.
696:Organizations based in Calgary
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560:"WPCA Official Site - About"
402:History of Chuckwagon Racing
681:Equestrian sports in Canada
425:It has been suggested that
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621:"internet movie data base"
562:. wpca.com. Archived from
492:. wpca.com. Archived from
410:Chuckwagon racing at the
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538:. www.travelalberta.com
536:"Culture and Heritage"
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302:Rocky Mountain House
179:Rocky Mountain House
51:improve this article
691:Rodeo organizations
435:Miles City, Montana
142:Number of locations
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55:independent sources
642:"Stampede History"
589:halfmileofhell.com
515:"Stampede History"
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218:Halfmileofhell.com
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235:chuckwagon racing
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63:December 2013
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440:South Dakota
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314:Lloydminster
299:Dawson Creek
279:Medicine Hat
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204:Saskatchewan
175:Dawson Creek
155:Medicine Hat
119:Headquarters
89:Company type
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49:Please help
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462:Guy Weadick
455:Guy Weadick
427:Guy Weadick
420:Guy Weadick
396:Logan Gorst
384:Chad Harden
376:Jason Glass
370:(retired),
368:Rick Fraser
366:(retired),
338:Rural Radio
191:Area served
92:Association
40:and may be
31:reads like
675:Categories
648:2008-05-01
627:2010-05-22
570:2008-05-01
542:2009-09-22
521:2009-09-22
500:2008-05-01
476:References
347:chuckwagon
295:Bonnyville
291:Strathmore
283:High River
171:Strathmore
159:High River
275:Saskatoon
241:Based in
151:Saskatoon
607:wpca.com
444:Oklahoma
342:SiriusXM
214:WPCA.com
53:and add
451:Calgary
247:Alberta
243:Calgary
231:cowboys
210:Website
196:Alberta
167:Calgary
128:Alberta
124:Calgary
109:Calgary
105:Founded
603:"Home"
585:"Home"
306:Balzac
287:Ponoka
183:Balzac
163:Ponoka
134:Canada
113:Canada
100:Sport
97:Genre
442:and
394:and
304:and
225:The
353:).
351:OLN
340:on
328:, "
216:or
35:or
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