Howdy Chuckwagon Friends
It’s been 1 week since our arrival home. When we departed Rocky Mountain House on Sunday afternoon, we were thrilled to be going home. Other years, we would have stayed an extra night to relax, celebrate and enjoy an evening with other crews that stayed back along with the committee members. This year we checked out the forecast and saw that the rain was coming to most of Alberta. And come down it did, starting in the early hours of Monday morning.
We unloaded the ponies at around 8:30 pm I do believe. It was dry and so beautiful to see the green trees,colorful flowers and the sun set into the west. The forecast was true, and we were so glad to be home and not packing and loading up in the mud and the rain as some of the other camps did.
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All Tuckered Out
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And The Rain Came Down
Whoa… I did not see this ending like this at all! I started following your blog just over a mth ago and it seems you have fed hundreds of famous breakfasts to hungry chuckwagon team peeps all season long. McWho cares how many trillion they served, there you are serving it up at your chuckwagon travelin’ trailer! In this day n age of huge gourmet kitchens that often only feed a family of 4, this seems worthy of a cooking segment on HGTV Tiny Houses so triple points for this n all the ambassador n community support you give in all you do!
But I digress on how I saw this end…I favor one of Wiki’s theory’s on the history of how chuckwagon races started and thought the season should finish accordingly:
“…cooks from two chuckwagons who had completed serving a barbecue at the 1919 Victory Stampede in Calgary then raced to the grandstand’s exit, inspiring the event”
In my alternate seasons ending, the announcer was still on the infield and this race was so quick he didn’t make it to the outfield in time so here is my recap from a birds eye view from Sask. Super Skinner Sue was on barrel 1. No outriders were needed, her hook didn’t dare budge until her say so, and in her ever efficient way you know she already had her wife saver cook pans, fry pan and stove loaded herself. When the horn blew Sue made a clean start gaining the rail to the Grandstand exit in an unheard of record time finish of 1.01 !
Well as I saw it Sue did not stop at the exit but hollered a “wagons ho” and raced on not stopping until she hit home! There she graciously entered the Nugget winners circle and accepted her prize as World Champ winner of the 2016 WPCCA (World Pro Chuckwagon Cook Association) and was awarded a good night’s sleep in her own bed …home sweet home!
So glad to hear you will post from time to time in the off season so I don’t have to make up my own stories-yours are so much better! I am reading the archives n have more questions! But first relax, get caught up n get your wheels back under you after weaning off your summer too cute side kick Coy! Thanks so much for sharing your adventures in this blog! You, Rick n all the Team 23 are champions in my books! Kari
Thank you Kari for this. I love your imagination of writing! Thank you also for your questions, and stay tuned as I will be writing one on the outriding boys and their duties. As I said before, us chuckwagon folk take what we do for granted. We tend to forget that not everyone knows the in’s and outs on all the rules and regulations of our great Western and Heritage Sport.
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One Full Load
Now in-between times, I’m very much taking time to enjoy these two little munchkins in our life. They make me so very happy. And I know one thing for sure………….my work will still be there when I get back to it!!!
From Home On the Ranch

Sue
P.S. A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every passerby leaves a mark.
Hi Sue and Rick:
I just noticed something. Your new grandbaby looks like Grampa Rick!
Hi sue..I have enjoyed your blog very much. I just started reading after the calgary stampede. I have saw Rick race many times in high river, where I live not far from the race field. Keep up your blog as its interesting for us our in the blog world. Your grand kids are so sweet…
Glad to hear you got rid of your guest – we did as well! Eddie caught him the day after we got home from Rocky! Letter of support will follow tomorrow
Thank you Travelin’ Tailer for all you posts. I loved reading them every day and now am in withdrawal that it is the end for another year. Enjoy the rest of your year and see you in the spring. And congrats!
Maggie Knorr Sent from my iPad
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Hi Sue Iam so grateful that I somehow seen you on your blog in Calgary and although Iam not great on this machine I don’t care. Thank you for all this writing that you have done this year to keep us home folks up to speed as to what has been going on in the chuck wagon world. Look forward to going back to the beginning this winter on cold and snow filled days. God Bless you Sue and your family. Betty Ingeveld
Lol glad you got a smile from my story. I wonder with Rick’s deep family history in chuckwagons, what year does it go back to n if there is some family folklore on the origins of the sport.
Maybe this winter you will have time to pick Ricks brain n blog about the previous generations highlights, their fav superstar horses n winning times…would be interesting to see how their times compared over the gens n with Ricks on the same track – assuming the track length stayed the same. It is something to have so much family history in this unique heritage sport it would be great to hear a few stories Rick recalls from those gen!
That is a cool fireball photo of the horses!
Hi Rick & Sue,
Glad to hear that you are safely at home after a long season of competing.
Sue, I want to take this opportunity to thank you very much for taking valuable time out of your day to keep us fans from all over the world informed as to what goes on behind the scenes of the “Travelin Trailer”
Looking forward to Cold Winter days when I can sit at my computer and read all of your past posts and following you come spring.
Thank you once again…God Bless you.
Betty Ingeveld
Hi Sue, I was late in joining your site but have since caught up on All. Just wanted to say how very much I have enjoyed reading your posts and truly hope you will still give us a glimpse (now & then) of what your “down-time” lol, consists of. Can’t believe how you handle everything so well, it’s obvious that Family is first but Your (& Rick’s) dedication to your horses & Sport is truly incredible!! Thanks for sharing, Charlene
Hello Charlene
Why thankyou for following along. I enjoy writing and sharing, and yes, I will be continuing too, throughout the winter months.
So glad you have enjoyed our journey.
Cheers
Sue