The first event on The Calgary Stampede Evening Program is the Chuck Wagon Races. This event has a long and rich history for the days of cattle drives when the cowboys slept on the range and a cook wagon followed the teams. The current form of the races use retired thoroughbred race horses and standardized wagons to simulate the chuck wagon. Each team is a driver with a four-horse team and two Out Riders that begin the race dismounted and have to finish within a few seconds of the wagon.
The first part of the 4-team race is "loading" the cook stove then a sharp turn around a barrel:
Then the teams go full out on an 3/8 mile oval track:
First to the finish line wins the heat:
to be continued.......