Things are looking up in Calgary — if the results of the Calgary Stampede’s annual canvas auction are any indication. Read More
The annual event gives corporate sponsors the opportunity to bid for the right to advertise on chuckwagon tarps during the Calgary Stampede. Just over an hour into Thursday’s auction, total bids had already matched last year’s final tally of $3.115 million — with seven drivers still to go.
The annual event gives corporate sponsors the opportunity to bid for the right to advertise on chuckwagon tarps during the Calgary Stampede. Just over an hour into Thursday’s auction, total bids had already matched last year’s final tally of $3.115 million — with seven drivers still to go.
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Things are looking up in Calgary — if the results of the Calgary Stampede’s annual canvas auction are any indication.
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Thursday night’s auction brought in $3.84 million in total bids, marking the second-highest total in the event’s 45-year history. The event also broke the record for highest average bid, coming in at around $142,222 — beating the record average of $115,370.37 set in 2024.
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The final tally exceeded 2024’s total by $725,000, though it fell just short of the all-time high of $4.015 million set in 2012 — the Stampede’s Centennial year — which included 36 drivers, compared to 27 this year.
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The auction comes amid economic uncertainty driven by U.S.-Canada trade tensions, with both business leaders and competitors eyeing the night as an indicator of economic sentiments.
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Jason Glass, the 2024 Rangeland Derby champion, secured the top individual bid of the night with $230,000 from Birchcliff Energy, surpassing last year’s high by $20,000.
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Speaking to reporters after the auction, Glass said the strong bidding turnout was “a great relief.”
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“With what’s going on in the world today, it’s amazing that the sport of chuckwagon racing has the support … that we do,” he said.
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“It means a lot,” he said, noting how much effort and cost goes into running a chuckwagon team. “I start training March 1st and I don’t normally get back to a normal job until September,” he added. “We put a lot of effort and work and money into entertaining people that wanna sit in the seats and watch chuckwagon racing.”
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The annual event gives corporate sponsors the opportunity to bid for the right to advertise on chuckwagon tarps during the Calgary Stampede. Just over an hour into Thursday’s auction, total bids had already matched last year’s final tally of $3.115 million — with seven drivers still to go.
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According to a Stampede spokesperson, the 2025 auction also saw a 15 per cent increase in the number of bidders over last year.
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The top overall bidder of the night was De Havilland Aircraft, which spent $470,000 across three drivers.
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Auction ‘sets the tone’ for chuckwagon season: driver
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Chuckwagon driver Jamie Laboucane, who received a $150,000 bid this year, said the auction plays a major role in setting team budgets for the season.
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“If you sell big, you can afford to do more,” he said. “All the wagon drivers get pretty nervous, pretty excited to come to this event.”
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Laboucane said concerns about economic volatility and trade uncertainty were on drivers’ minds heading into the auction.