Spray Lake Sawmills-sponsored Layne MacGillivray was edged out by half a horse length at the wire, to finish second in the Cowboys Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon Races on the closing day of the Calgary Stampede 2022 on July 17.
Kris Molle of Chauvin, Alta., tore out to an early lead and kept it all the way to the finish line in the feature ninth heat, winning in 1:13:48.
MacGillivray finished with a 1:13.56 time, and took home $20,000 for second place. He also won the Nova Chemical Safety Award, which comes with an additional $30,000.
It was a good Stampede for MacGillivray, who finished in first place in the overall aggregate after nine days of racing, which put him into the dash for cash Sunday.
On the morning after losing the dash for cash by half a horse length, MacGillivray was philosophical about coming in second.
“She was close,” he said.
“It was a really good week. Would’ve been nice to finish it off yesterday, but that’s the way she goes.”
MacGillivray, nothing if not modest, said he wasn’t sure what his take-home pay for the Stampede was.
“I don’t even know, to tell you the truth,” he said.
“We’re busy packing up, looking after the horses, and getting moved out of here,” he said in an interview with the Eagle on July 18.
MacGillivray now stands tied for second overall in the aggregate standings of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association.
This is Spray Lake's third Stampede sponsorship of MacGillivray.
Molle won $50,000 and a new truck for winning Sunday’s Rangeland Derby championship race, known as the dash for cash.
Chad Fike of Cremona also had a good derby, posting first-place finishes in his heats on five of the nine days.
A pall was cast over the derby on Thursday when a chuckwagon racing horse was euthanized after suffering a serious injury.
The horse, a member of Cody Ridsdale's team, was injured during the fourth heat at Stampede Park.
The decision to put the animal down was made by Ridsdale following a veterinary assessment.
New rules were introduced this year following a two-year hiatus in the chuckwagon races. The number of chuckwagons allowed in each race was reduced from four down to three, and foam barriers were installed along the outside rails.
University of Calgary researchers also were enlisted to analyze track conditions and minimize the risk of injury.
Chuckwagon races returned to the Stampede after missing the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Calgary Stampede track is proclaimed by the World Professional Chuckwagon Association as the “half-mile of hell.” Competitors ride around the track at nearly 65 kilometres per hour.
