For the first time in seven years, the finals of World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA) racing will be returning to North Saskatchewan River Park.
WPCA, in partnership with the Rocky Mountain House Chuckwagon Association (RMCA) announced this week that ‘Battle of the Rockies’ will be the WPCA World Finals. More recently, the finals were last year in Ponoka over the Labour Day long weekend, and at Century Downs north of Calgary before that.
President of the Rocky Mountain Chuckwagon Association, Lillian Hay, says hosting the finals is an honour and a privilege.
“It’s similar to being offered to host the last five games of the Stanley Cup, which brings with it its own thrills,” she says. “It allows Rocky Mountain House and Clearwater County to show what we have in our community, and grow with the fan base.”
The finals were first hosted in Rocky Mountain House in 2010, with the area serving as the WPCA finals up until 2018. Since 2019, Battle of The Rockies has served as the WPCA semi-finals.
Communities bid to be the host year-over-year, says Hay, which is then voted on by WPCA members. Hay adds, the RMCA fully intends to re-up next year.
“We know for sure we’ve got this year— if everyone’s happy, hopefully we get it for longer than [this year]”, says Hay.
She adds, advocacy efforts to bring the finals back to Rocky began immediately after the 2024 season ended.
Chuckwagon racing at 2023 Battle of The Rockies at North Saskatchewan River Park (Shellie Scott Photography)
The races see participants racing around barrels on a half-mile or three-quarter mile track on a chuckwagon led by four thoroughbred horses— a tradition dating all the way back to 1923.
Another thrilling aspect of the races is the requirement for racers to have a ‘stove’ in their wagons, which is actually a drum that weighs about 10 pounds— an homage to early pioneers’ covered wagons.
Not having the stove in your wagon is actually a penalty, she adds.
For those who have never been to Battle of The Rockies, Hay says it’s quite something to behold in person.
The five-day WPCA World Finals, are slated to go Aug. 13-17, and will be part of the WPCA Pro Tour that starts in Grande Prairie on May 28.
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