Doug Irvine and his team found their stride in High River.
The Iron River-native said it all came together during the 2019 Guy Weadick Days, where he claimed first place overall.
“(The horses) all work better when they find their place and where they want to be. The first four shows… you try to get everyone put where they should be, and it all kind of just came together in High River,” said the chuckwagon driver of 22 years.
The High River competition was rained out on day one, but Irvine hit the track running June 21 and 22 and won it all with an aggregated time of 3:54.64.
This was the first time Irvine had taken home the top spot in this event, with outriders Rory Gervais and Quinn Langevin also celebrating the success.
“The horses came together and it worked well, so it felt pretty good to have them click as we’re coming into two of the biggest shows of the year,” Irvine told the Nouvelle.
Not far behind the local driver was Mark Sutherland. He took home second with a three-day total of 3:56.85, followed by Layne McGillivray with 3:57.
Irvine said his horses ran hard, and found themselves on the top of the leaderboard for two of the three days with his best run of 1:16.82 on barrel two of the fifth heat.
“They definitely found their stride,” he stated.
This was his fourth race of the season, and was described by Irvine as a “preparation race,” where drivers find the right horse placement as they gear up for the Ponoka Stampede Championship and Calgary Stampede.
Irvine just crossed the finish line at the Ponoka competition on Monday, and is only a few days away from the Calgary event.
With over two decades of racing experience, Irvine has a bit of a leg up.
He said his years on the track have given him a better understanding of what horses work well together, which is a key factor in any racer’s triumph.
Support from the community “is crucial to the success of your operation,” Irvine exclaimed.
To find out where Irvine ended the Ponoka Stampede Championship, check out bonnyvillenouevelle.ca.
