The Calgary Stampede was more like the “Not Bad Show on Earth” for Foothills area chuckwagon drivers.
Foothills drivers Mark Sutherland, Jordie Fike and Jason Glass turned in some impressive performances over the 10 days, but found themselves on the outside looking in when announcer Les McIntrye called “quiet on the set” for the semifinal heats on Saturday.
“It was definitely a Stampede that I didn’t accomplish the goals I wanted to accomplish,” Sutherland said.
The 46-year-old driver had gone up and down the Rangeland Derby standings throughout the week and after a fifth-place run on July 12, found himself in 12th place in the aggregate and hoping to improve things as he lined up on the four barrel on Thursday.
Then his Stampede went south. Sutherland had an equipment problem and his horses headed down the track — about 1- times around the track. He was able to get the horses under control, but when the race was run he came in at 1:19.22 (one second penalty included) the slowest time of the night.
“That broken equipment caused a whole lot of trouble and a slow time,” Sutherland said. “Then I came back with two good nights in a row.
“The horses did good, but we were like 35 other guys, we just couldn’t put it together to be the champion. One thing about the Stampede, when you’re crying about your loses you have a lot of company. There is only one champion.”
Sutherland opened the Stampede with the fastest run of the night on July 7. Then after a pair of slower runs, he had the second fastest run of the night on July 10 — for a while.
A heavy rainstorm cancelled the races.
“You have to take the good with the bad – weather is weather,” Sutherland said. “You have to put those things behind you. It was unfortunate, but I had a couple more days to make up for it.
“I had four more days to get in, I have no one to blame but myself.”
He finished 22nd in the aggregate final standings.
High River’s Jason Glass just couldn’t find the right mix in Calgary.
“It wasn’t what we were hoping for — I have a beautiful bunch of horses and it hasn’t been our year so far,” said Glass, who was 25th in the aggregate. “I just wasn’t starting, turning or running fast enough.
“I just can’t put my finger on it. I have no excuses.”
Glass, the 2013 Stampede champion, will try to piece things together at his High River-Mazeppa spread in preparation for the Bonnyville races July 27-30.
Blackie’s Jordie Fike continued to move up the standings as the 10-day Stampede progressed. While slogging along as low as 25th, Fike was the top Foothills driver at 16 in the aggregate.
“We didn’t winning any heats, but we stayed clean and ended up finishing in the top 16 in the aggregate, that was kind of nice,” Fike said.
The 2017 Stampede champion was Kurt Bensmiller, who picked up his third Rangeland Derby bronze in four years (Kirk Sutherland won the Stampede last year).
Bensmiller turned in the fastest time of the night at 1:11.30 en route to winning the championship heat on Sunday. Bensmilller has won three consecutive events, High River, Ponoka and the Calgary Stampede. He also won the prestigious Richard Cosgrave Memorial Award as the fastest aggregate time over the opening eight days at the Calgary Stampede.
Long live the King
It was an emotional night on Sunday as Kelly “the King” Sutherland made his final trek around the track at the Calgary Stampede in winning the fifth heat.
All of the drivers and outriders welcomed the King, who has won 12 Calgary Stampede titles, in his Stampede goodbye. Although Sutherland has battled on the homestretch with the Glass family, Jason also hailed the King.
“It was great,” Glass said of the farewell. “Everything he has done for chuckwagon racing. He has been one of the biggest promoters of the sport in history.
“I get along great with him and his family. I just wish he would have been in the final heat last night.”
