Rae Croteau Jr. was the big winner at the 2026 Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon Canvas Auction
Photo by Billy Melville

It was a historic night at the Big Four Roadhouse on Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, as the 46th Annual Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta Chuckwagon Canvas Auction shattered all previous records. Simply put, it was an auction of epic proportions.

Long regarded as a barometer of the Alberta economy, the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon Canvas Auction delivered a clear message, things are looking exceptional heading into 2026. The first record to fall was the overall total, as a staggering $6,075,000 was bid on 27 of the best chuckwagon drivers in the world today. That total eclipsed the 2025 mark of $3,840,000 by $2,235,000, and surpassed the previous record of $4,015,000, set during the Stampede’s Centennial celebration in 2012, by more than $2 million.

The second and third records to fall were the average and median bids, which both came in at $225,000. This surpasses the 2025 figures of $142,222.22 (average) and $140,000 (median) by a significant margin.

The record-setting night also featured a historic high bid, as Bar L-5 Ranch paid $550,000 to advertise on the canvas of Rae Croteau Jr., breaking the previous record of $300,000 set in 2012. Earlier in the evening, 2023 Rangeland Derby Champion Layne MacGillivray also surpassed that longstanding mark, with Shaw GMC Chevrolet Buick securing his canvas for $475,000.

Meanwhile, Jordie Fike and Danny Ringuette tied for the highest low bid in auction history at $100,000, exceeding the previous record of $80,000 set in 2024. Notably, this marks the first time all 27 drivers sold for $100,000 or more.

There are two more Chuckwagon Canvas Auctions involving WPCA drivers still to come. The first will take place on Saturday, April 11, 2026, for the Grande Prairie Stompede at the Tara Centre at Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Go to watch.wpca.com to watch the livestream of the Grande Prairie Sale.

The second will be held on Friday, May 1, 2026, for the Ponoka Stampede at the Stagecoach Saloon on the Ponoka Stampede Grounds in Ponoka, Alberta. Visit wpca.com for further details in the coming week.

Billy Melville

DriverSponsorAmount BidRae Croteau Jr.Bar L-5 Ranch$550,000.00 *Layne MacGillivrayShaw GMC Chevrolet Buick$475,000.00Troy DorchesterAECON$275,000.00Evan SalmondDe Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd.$275,000.00Chad FikeTOMCO Group of Companies$275,000.00Kurt BensmillerSuncor$275,000.00Kris MolleGraf Mechanical Ltd.$275,000.00Jason Glass Birchcliff Energy Ltd.$250,000.00Obrey MotowyloShel-Bar Electronic Industries Ltd.$250,000.00Dayton SutherlandTruman Homes$250,000.00Wade SalmondDe Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd.$250,000.00Vern NolinSask-Alta Allies Group of Companies$250,000.00Chanse VigenLethbridge Lodging Association$225,000.00Preston FaithfulDe Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd.$225,000.00Logan GorstInternational Petroleum Corp. $200,000.00Dustin GorstNorStar Service Solutions Ltd.$200,000.00Mitch SutherlandNavacord Insurance$180,000.00Layne FladMVA Group of Companies$180,000.00Jamie LaboucanePanorama Advisory Group$175,000.00Chance BensmillerMeguinis Enterprises Business Ranch$175,000.00Cruise BensmillerSteelhaus Tryton $160,000.00Ross KnightVIP YYC$130,000.00Chance FladMVA Group of Companies$125,000.00Dallas DyckStoney Nakoda Nations$125,000.00Ryan BptisteSunchild Law$125,000.00Danny RinguetteThe Brakeman Foundation$100,000.00 *Jordie FikePetrus Resources Ltd.$100,000.00 *Total Amount Bid$6,075,000.00 *Average Bid$225,000.00 *Median Bid$225,000.00 *High Bid$550,000.00 *Low Bid$100,000.00 *2025 Total$3,840,000.00 *Difference Over 2025$2,235,000.00 *