Sutherland was a big winner in his canvas auction debut at the Calgary Stampede

Southern Alberta athletes played a major role in the record-setting Calgary Stamped Cowboys Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon Canvas Auction.

Dayton Sutherland had the third highest bid at $160,000 from Truman Homes when it debuted at 44.^th Annual Auction on April 11, as a Foothills County athlete makes his first appearance as host at the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

“I was really excited,” Sutherland said. “Sports is very difficult financially because you're feeding 30 expensive kids all year. If we had to compete in those 10 days and you made 160 (grand), you'd be laughing.

“This is my first year in Calgary so my dad (Mark) and grandpa (Kelly) have some bills to pay to get a lot of help. But the most important thing for me is to be with Truman.

Sutherland said he was impressed with the family-owned homebuilding company, which is a big player in the community and is not new to sponsoring sports in Calgary and the area.

“Meeting them and pairing up is huge and I'm really excited for this July now,” he said. “When I get really salt-of-the-earth people together, they seem excited about the Stampede. I don't think it was on their radar before, but they are very easy to work with. People like Truman and other sponsors make the Stampede happen without them.”

The canvas auction, seen as an economic barometer for the Calgary area, set several records Thursday night at Stampede Park.

The average bid placed on the 27 drivers set an auction record of $115,370.37, surpassing the previous high by nearly $4,000. The lowest bid of $80,000 was also a record $20,000.

Bidding totaled $3.15 million, the seventh-highest in history, with 18 drivers surpassing the $100,000 plateau.

2022 Rangeland Derby Champion Chris Molle Graf Mechanical Ltd. company was the highest bid of $210,000, followed by four-time champion Kurt Bensmiller of Gray Eagle Resort and Casino at $175,000.

High River's Jason Glass had the fifth-highest bid from Friends of Jason Glass at $150,000, while Blackie's Jordy Feek received a $100,000 bid from Steelhaus Technologies Inc.

“These corporate sponsors who support the Western heritage events that are part of our culture make it all possible,” added Sutherland. “The banners on the job site, the decals on the water truck, all the little things, it's not just the tarp sponsors, it's all very important.”

Sutherland, a third-generation driver, said he wasn't sure if he would be under the bright lights of the Stampede canvas auction.

“Honestly, instead of the standings, changes were made to the draft system and I was reduced from 36 to 27 a few years ago. started driving,” he said. “There was a time when I was ready to perform, it was impossible, I stretched and worked for a long time, but it did not go my way.

“I got the invitation last fall out of the blue, and I didn't know if I was going to compete there. I don't know if it's going to be real yet until it's a No. 1 night.”

The World Professional Chuckwagon Association racing season kicks off with the Grande Prairie Stomped at the end of May.