Doyle Mullaney, 63, goes around a barrel during a chuckwagon race at the Fort Worth Livestock and Rodeo in January. He was back in the chuckwagon box as he filled in for his long-time friend Dennis MacGillivray for shows in Houston and Fort Worth, Texas. photo submitted |
By Bruce Campbell
Sports Editor
A retired chuckwagon driver took over the reins to help an old friend who couldn’t meet his commitments due to health reasons.
When 63-year-old Doyle “Doc” Mullaney climbed back into the box to ride for Dennis MacGillivray in Fort Worth and Houston the last two months, he found out he still had the old touch – he finished second at both shows. He came out of retirement with a vengeance – there were 50 rides over the two shows in the Lone Star State.
Mullaney, a veterinarian in Okotoks, hadn’t raced since 2004 when he was injured during a training session in High River. But when an old friend needs help, sometimes you have to go the extra mile – that’s just the way it’s done in chuckwagon circles.
“Dennis had a heart attack, but he had commitments in Fort Worth and Houston and he asked if I would drive for him down there,” said Mullaney, who had been driving chuckwagons since 1963. “I said I would – if I could find someone to take over at the vet clinic.”
Dr. Gary Carter said he would fill in and so Mullaney had to get to work – holding reins to control four powerful horses takes strong arms and can cause some stress.
So Mullaney used a tool to take care of both.
“I bought one of those balls – the ones you squeeze to relieve stress,” Mullaney said. “I would squeeze them until it hurt. Then I would do it 10 more times.”
Mullaney didn’t get to see his team of horses until practice runs the day before the shows in Fort Worth in mid January.
He would find the track in Fort Worth a lot tighter than the five-eighths of a mile track at the Calgary Stampede or the High River Ag Society Grounds. (Because the races are indoors, three teams race rather than the traditional four in Canada. As well, there are no outriders).
The Fort Worth races were held indoors on a quarter-mile track – about three times the size of a hockey rink.
“The first race, I found the reins a bit slippery than what I was used to,” Mullaney said. “I slid a little bit, but I was able to get it under control... after about three nights I had it back... Dennis came up to me and said, ‘Doyle, you still got it.’”
And how.
Mullaney, whose father Pete also drove chuckwagons, finished second overall.
Mullaney then made a return trip to Houston for the city’s annual livestock and rodeo show, March 3-22. He had last raced in Houston in 1978 at the famed Astrodome.
“This time we were at Reliance Stadium, right next door to the Astrodome,” Mullaney said. “The stadium just dwarfed the Astrodome – and to think that was once called the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World.””
Mullaney turned out to be somewhat of a wonder himself – he finished second over the 20-day event in Houston.
Both the Houston and Fort Worth shows were won by Jake Van Ringen.
Although Mullaney was pleased with his finish, he’s going to stick with taking care of horses, rather than racing them. He has no plans to come out of retirement.
“I miss it – I started driving when I was 16,” Mullaney said. “I have had a pretty good life and I would do it all over again. But I don’t want to go through all that travel and work again. They are very long days when you are driving chuckwagons.”
So for now he will stay retired – unless he has to help a friend again down the road. |
