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Calgary Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
'Best feeling in the world': Chanse Vigen captures first Rangeland Derby title with 'rockstar' drive
Article content 'The Rangeland Derby Rockstar' finally lived up to his nickname. Article content Chanse Vigen did what he wasn't able to do last year and outraced Jason Glass across the finish line in the championship final heat of the 2025 Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta. Article content 'I just feel like I've been working towards this my whole life,' said Vigen, who's originally from Grande Prairie, Alta., but now lives in Calgary with his wife Brie. 'I just feel so relieved.' Article content Article content 'I wasn't trying to rock anything,' said Vigen in regards to winning chuckwagon's ultimate prize in his fourth trip to the final heat. 'I just wanted to win the race and I've never wanted something so bad. It's the best feeling in the world. There's a lot of emotion running through me right now. It's the best night of my life.' Article content After finishing third one year ago, Vigen was able to execute a perfect figure-eight turn around the barrels in his wagon to secure his spot along the rail before racing around the Stampede Park track in 1:13.44 to beat Glass — the defending champion — and his Birchcliff Energy outfit across the line by 1.27 seconds. Article content In his first time competing in the Rangeland Derby final, Jamie Laboucane (Panorama Advisory Group) hit a barrel and wound up in third spot. Article content Article content 'You're never comfortable when you're hooked (with) Jason Glass and Jamie Laboucane,' said Vigen, who finished third in last year's final. 'They're the two fiercest competitors out there, probably not to take anything away from anybody. They're just so tough and consistent and loaded with horsepower, and it was a tough race. I don't know if there was a favourite to win the race tonight. Anybody could have won that race, and our horses just responded and answered the bell.' Article content Racing down the final stretch and hearing the roar of crowd at GMC Stadium was something Vigen will never forget. Article content 'I saw my whole life flash before my eyes,' said Vigen, who looked back to make sure his outriders Rory Gervais and Ethan Motowylo were behind him, which they were. 'I knew we were going to win.' Article content Outrider Trey MacGillivray, who also worked with the team throughout the 10-day show, also accompanied Vigen to the stage to be honoured for his efforts.
Calgary Herald
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Calgary Herald
Chanse Vigen, Jamie Laboucane, Jason Glass advance to Rangeland Derby championship heat
The championship lineup is set. Article content By virtue of finishing as the top three drivers in the aggregate standings through nine nights of racing at the Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta, Chanse Vigen, Jamie Laboucane and Jason Glass advanced to race in the Calgary Stampede's $80,000 Championship Final Heat on Sunday. Article content As the top two drivers all week, Vigen and Laboucane pretty much had their spots locked up heading into Saturday, while Glass still had some work to do to guarantee his position. Article content Article content 'They're both very strong,' said Glass, who came into the night in third spot and held onto it thanks to posting the night's second fastest time of 1:11.90. 'They've got some beautiful horses in the barn and they're both driving fantastic. All the credit in the world to both of those guys.' Article content Article content After finishing third in last year's final heat at the Rangeland Derby, Vigen immediately set his sights on making it back to the Calgary Stampede's championship dash for cash. Article content 'It's the only reason why I'm racing a wagon right now is to try to win this show,' said Vigen in early April just before the start of the Calgary Stampede Canvas Auction. 'It's that simple. It's that black and white. This is why I got into the sport. This is why I'm still in the sport. This is what I'm here for.' Article content Article content It's the fourth trip to the final for Vigen, who also made appearances in 2017 and '18 when Kurt Bensmiller won his third and fourth Rangeland Derby titles. Article content During his quest to win the ultimate wagon racing prize in Calgary, 'The Rangeland Derby Rockstar' has been a sponge for information on how to get better. Article content 'Of course, you never stop learning,' said Vigen, who has won back-to-back World Professional Chuckwagon Association Pro Tour driving titles. 'You'll learn until the day you retire. I've gathered that from people like Kelly Sutherland (the record-holding 12-time Rangeland Derby champion) and Rick Fraser that have had really decorated careers and lengthy careers and they never stopped learning until they were out because horses have a way of tricking you. Article content 'It's a very complicated game that we're playing. It looks very easy when you're just watching it on television or watching it live, but there's a lot of moving parts. You'll never get it figured out. There's no formula, so as far as the learning curve, it never ends.'
Calgary Herald
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Rangeland Derby demonstration driver gig 'dream come true' for Cruise Bensmiller
Cruise Bensmiller demonstrated just how good his driving skills are by finishing 11th in the World Professional Chuckwagon Association standings last season. Article content For his efforts, he was rewarded by being named one of the two Chuckwagon 101 demonstration drivers at the 2025 Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta. Article content 'This is a dream come true to me,' said the 22-year-old reinsman from Dewberry, Alta., who holds bragging rights that he's the sport's first fifth-generation driver. Article content Article content After his great-great-grandfather Wesley Smith took up driving chuckwagons in the 1940s, Bensmiller's great-grandpas Allen Smith and Allan Bensmiller followed suit and both were finalists in Calgary at the Stampede. Article content Article content His grandpa Buddy Bensmiller won it all in Calgary in 1979, 1989 and 2003, while his uncles Kurt, Chance and David Bensmiller all took up the sport as well. Kurt won four Rangeland Derby titles in five years between 2014 and 2018. Article content 'They're all champions,' said the youngest Bensmiller in regards to his talented family members — which include his mom Lisa Bensmiller and stepfather Vern Nolin — who have paved the way in the sport before him. Throughout the Stampede, Bensmiller has been splitting duties as the demonstration driver prior to the start of the nine heats of racing with Colby Stanley from the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association. Each of the drivers work the gig on alternate nights. Article content Article content 'The demonstration's super important,' said Bensmiller during a behind-the-barns tour for the media in Calgary on Tuesday morning. 'There's lots of people that haven't seen wagons before, so (it's good) for them to kind of just focus on one wagon and see what one wagon does before the craziness of all three wagons.' Article content With a pair of outriders helping him out, Bensmiller guides his horses to the starting line and then around the two barrels in a figure-eight pattern before racing around the track, all while track announcer Les McIntyre explains the action to fans in addition to describing the various penalties that could occur. Article content 'I kind of black out,' said Bensmiller when asked if he can hear McIntyre calling his race. 'I try to focus on the horses as much as I can, but yeah, I do listen to Les. And yeah, Les has been doing this a long time and for him to say my name at a venue like this is just an amazing feeling.'
Calgary Herald
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Jamie Laboucane's winning outfit at Rangeland Derby a source of family pride
Putting together a winning outfit can be a source of pride for chuckwagon drivers. Article content For Jamie Laboucane, what was even more special about his day money-winning Panorama Advisory Group outfit at Sunday night's Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta was the fact that his wife and two kids each named one of the horses. Article content Article content His daughter Ella has widely been credited for giving Laboucane's award-winning left wheeler a tasty name. Article content Article content 'Ella named Marshmallow,' said Laboucane, while adding that his son and wife also helped him play the name game with his equine athletes. 'Oliver named the right leader Bray, my wife Dana named Jovi and I guess I'll take credit for naming Threescore.' Article content Article content Jovi ran alongside Marshmallow on the right wheel, while Threescore took his traditional spot on left lead as Laboucane completed the figure-eight pattern around the barrels cleanly and raced around the GMC Stadium track in Sunday's quickest clocking of 1:13.79. Article content Saving his best for the ninth and final heat, Laboucane beat the time that Chanse Vigen and his outfit had set three heats earlier by 44/100ths of a second. 'I've just got to try to drive clean,' said the 38-year-old Laboucane from St. Walburg, Sask. 'I know the horses are going to run for me. Honestly, I probably cut 'er a little bit too tight tonight. I rolled that top barrel, but I got away lucky. Some other drivers didn't. It's a long 10 days and sometimes you need a little luck to win.' Article content Article content The other drivers who weren't so lucky were defending Calgary Stampede champion Jason Glass, who crunched a barrel in the seventh heat, as did Kurt Bensmiller — a four-time winner of the coveted chuckwagon championship — one race later. Article content 'I think (the track) was a little bit heavier today as I found out as well,' said Laboucane in regards to the afternoon rains that slowed the track down. 'Guys probably just cut 'er a little bit too tight. I can't judge them because I came darn close as well.' Article content Article content As far as the aggregate standings go, Vigen maintained his spot atop the leaderboard with a three-night time of 3:38.79. Article content 'Chanse Vigen, he's rocking it,' said Laboucane, who was sitting in second spot, just 23/100ths of a second behind his rival heading into Monday's fourth night of racing action. Article content Laboucane was also oh-so close to recording Saturday's fastest time but had to settle for tying for second spot with Vigen, a mere 1/100ths of a second behind Obrey Motowylo's Dynamic Energy Group rig.
Calgary Herald
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Jamie Laboucane leaves runner-up status in rearview by winning Night 3 of Rangeland Derby
Jamie Laboucane was oh-so close to having the top time on the second night of the Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta. Article content After finishing in a tie with Chanse Vigen on Saturday — just 1/100ths of a second behind Obrey Motowylo — Laboucane did one better on Sunday and was rewarded as the Hottest Heat of the Night winner. Article content Off barrel No. 2 in the ninth heat aboard his Panorama Advisory Group chuckwagon, Laboucane completed the figure-eight pattern around the barrels cleanly and raced around the GMC Stadium track in Sunday's quickest clocking of 1:13.79. Article content Article content 'I've just got to try to drive clean,' said Laboucane, who beat Vigen and his outfit by 44/100ths of a second for the quickest clocking of the evening. 'I know the horses are going to run for me. Honestly, I probably cut 'er a little bit too tight. I rolled that top barrel, but I got away lucky. Some other drivers didn't. It's a long 10 days, and sometimes you need a little luck to win.' Article content Article content Article content The other drivers who weren't so lucky were defending Calgary Stampede champion Jason Glass, who crunched a barrel in the seventh heat as did Kurt Bensmiller — a four-time winner of the coveted chuckwagon championship — one race later. Article content 'I think (the track) was a little bit heavier, as I found out as well,' said Laboucane in regards to the afternoon rains that made track conditions slower than the first two nights. 'Guys probably just cut 'er a little bit too tight. I can't judge them because I came darn close, as well.' Article content One night after edging Laboucane and Vigen for the fastest time, Obrey Motowylo and his Len T Wong & Associates Real Estate outfit had another strong showing, this time finishing third in 1:14.76. Article content As far as the aggregate standings go, Vigen maintained his spot atop the leaderboard with a three-night time of 3:38.79. Article content 'Chanse Vigen, he's rocking it,' said Laboucane, who's sitting in second spot just 23/100ths of a second behind his rival. Article content Rae Croteau Jr. (Bar L5 Ranch) is currently holding down the third spot in the cumulative standings followed closely by Kris Molle (Graf Mechanical Ltd.), Evan Salmond (De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd.) and Chad Fike (Steelhaus Trayton).
