Economy dips into wagons’ haul

By Bruce Campbell
sports Editor

Chuckwagon drivers have hitched their wagons to the oil and gas boom over the past few years, but a slowdown in that industry may mean drivers will have to cut their costs.
A hint of the economy slowing down was evident as the World Professional Chuckwagon Association’s tarp auction on March 18 was down from $1.639 million last year to $1.446 million this year.
Last year’s total included eight shows being sold. The total was down by close to $200,000 despite a race in Bonnyville being added.
Organizers for High River’s North American Chuckwagon Races saw a decrease of a approximately $50,000 from the $228,000 total for the 36 tarps sold in 2007.
The 36 tarps sold for $174,250 at the 2008 tarp auction held in Calgary March 18.
The drivers receive 80 per cent of that total while the High River Agricultural Society will receive the remaining 20 per cent to organize the races on June 19-22.
“It is because of the economy and this is no big surprise,” said Bill Long, director for the championships. “We have had our totals increase every year now for a while… It will be less money to work with (approximately $10,000), but we have worked with this total before, so we will be alright.”
Long said the slowdown in the oil and gas industry over the past year was the reason for the lost dollars in sponsorships.
“A lot of oil and gas companies have sponsored chuckwagons in the past, but this year there aren’t as many sponsoring,” he said.
Chuckwagon driver Brian Mayan of High River had his tarp sell for $25,000 for the nine shows being auctioned on March 18.
“I am down from last year, but I’m pretty happy — I thought it was going to be worse,” he said. “There’s a slow down in the economy. It’s affecting everybody.”
Mayan, a former World champion outrider, said he will have to increase the amount he will out-ride in order to make ends meet this year.
He added while he has one team of horses that can compete with anybody on the WPCA circuit, he doesn’t have the depth — the number or horses — to compete with those at the top of the association, such as 2007 champion Kelly Sutherland, Mark Sutherland of Okotoks, Jason Glass of High River and last year’s Calgary Stampede champion Luke Tournier.
Mayan said unlike the top drivers he isn’t part of the Calgary Stampede auction, which brought in an average of $111,208 for the 36 drivers who qualified for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Mark Sutherland, who sold for approximately $100,000 for the nine shows sold on March 21, added his average was down a bit considering the Bonnyille races were added to the auction.
“You can only get what the market will bring,” Sutherland said. “A tarp is no different than an ad in the Western Wheel — except it’s eight feet long and pulled by horses. If the market slows down, your number of ads is going to slow down.” Sutherland estimated it costs a driver $100,000 a year to compete in the World Professional Chuckwagon Association circuit.
Sutherland, who works in the oil and gas industry, said he has seen the slowdown in that industry as a result of the royalty review and the spiralling American dollar, said that drivers themselves are going to have to be more aggressive themselves in rounding up sponsors and getting them out to future tarp auctions.
Jason Glass’ tarp sold for $50,500 for the nine shows on March 21. His tarp was sold for $70,500 for eight shows at last year’s auction.
He agreed that the decrease is due to the slowdown in the Alberta economy. Glass estimated it costs approximately $500 day for drivers once the WPCA season starts.
The nine shows on the auction block on March 21 were Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, High River, Bonnyville, Drumheller, Strathmore, Dawson Creek and Red Deer.
The tarp auction for the Ponoka Stampede was on Thursday, with the 36 tarps in Ponoka sold for $304,000.
The WPCA Chuckwagon championship tarp auction is tonight in Edmonton.
The Calgary Stampede auction is April 10 in Calgary.