A Grande Prairie-based chuckwagon driver received the top bid at the Ponoka Stampede chuckwagon canvas auction.
Dean Dreger’s tarp drew a $150,000 bid, pushing the sale’s grand total past the $900,000 mark for the first time. This year’s auction reached $904,500, surpassing the previous record of $617,000 and extending the event’s streak of record-setting sales to four consecutive years.
Dreger’s tarp was purchased by Four Legged Adventures for the six-day show beginning June 26. After the auction, the World Professional Chuckwagon Association driver said he was still in shock.
“It was pretty awkward for me,” Dreger said. “I didn’t expect it at all, for sure.”
Sponsors bid for advertising placement on the tarps of 32 leading chuckwagon drivers, along with four wildcard entries. Bidding averaged $25,125, with a median of $20,000, while the lowest successful bid was $9,000.
Despite the headline number, Dreger said the backing carries deeper meaning, tied to a memorial foundation honouring the sponsor’s family and supporting Western heritage and horse rescue.
“It’s important. It’s almost heartfelt in a lot of ways,” he said. “This is a memorial endeavour for [their] family.”
“Hopefully, we can portray that out there and share that with all the wagon fans, the sponsors and the communities.”
He has been preparing for the season for the past month in Grande Prairie, training alongside his son, Tuff Dreger, with a mix of returning and new horses.
“We’re on schedule,” Dreger said. “We’re working every day. We’ve got lots of family and help, and that makes it all worthwhile.”
The WPCA Pro Tour season opens May 27–31 at the Grande Prairie Stompede, with another canvas auction set for May 26 ahead of the Teepee Creek Stampede in July.
The Ponoka Stampede will take place over the Canada Day long weekend, with the event celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2026, highlighted by the $90,000 Tommy Dorchester Championship Final Heat.
