Grande Prairie chuckwagon driver Chanse Vigen is heading into the Calgary Stampede on a high note, after starting the 2023 World Professional Chuckwagon Association season with a bang.
Vigen started the season by winning the 2023 Grande Prairie Stompede Ralph Vigen Aggregate award and the $35,000 Dash for Cash. During the 100th anniversary of the Ponoka Stampede Vigen broke a 61-year-old record. Over the six nights of competition, the Grande Prairie native posted the fastest time every night breaking the previous record set in 1962 when Dale Flett made five consecutive first-place runs at the Calgary Stampede; a streak that was broken by Vigen’s grandfather Ralph Vigen. The Ponoka sweep includes the veteran driver’s second aggregate title of the season and the $75,000 Tommy Dorchester Dash for Cash title.
Vigen says heading into the 10-day show in Calgary there is no better feeling.
“I knew [the horses] were working good but we typically don’t peak that early in the season and it was very sweet obviously to win the home town but I was also in the back of my mind a bit concerned that maybe we were peaking a little soon,” he says. “Not a lot of guys seem to win Calgary who wins Grande Prairie, knock on wood, but they are all pulling on the rope together and both outfits are kind of just in sync.”
Vigen adds during the longest show of the season he doesn’t plan to mess with any of his teams, or make any major changes, instead, he plans on trusting the horses who have gotten him to this point. Being a show with only three wagons per heat, the veteran driver is planning to lean on one team when coming off the one-barrel, and a second team when coming off the two and three-barrel positions.
“We just need to keep doing what we have been doing, and keeping our foot on the gas, remember what got us here, stick to the hard work program and I think that at the end of the day, we can be there when it is all said and done, so we will see where things end up.”
“We have the best barn crew on the grounds, in my opinion, and the outriders who have ridden for me have been solid. It is just a fun time to be wagon racing for us and it is just really enjoyable.”
Vigen explains when it comes to the barn atmosphere, he believes it is extremely important to have a positive vibe for not only the people involved but for the equine athletes as well as they feed off the energy. The Grande Prairie driver, along with 26 other wagon teams will race at the Calgary Stampede from July 7th to 16th.
