The end of chuckwagon season is quickly approaching, and driverr Doug Irvine is looking to improve before he heads home.
Irvine has been hard at work this year on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA) circuit, and as of Aug. 13, is ranked ninth in the world standings with 863.5 points.
“We’re trying to get really solid and get where we can get the big ones,” he said. “I feel I’m just one horse away, and I’m trying some stuff to find out what horse.”
The Iron River native has had some positive results so far, and didn’t let a few bad finishes slow him down.
“It’s either been really good or not,” Irvine recalled. “I’ve had some good runs, and I’ve had some bad runs, too. It’s been okay, but I wanted it to be better.”
At the 2018 WPCA tour in Grande Prairie, Irvine finished ninth overall with 154 points and a time of 5:14.66. He fell to 15th place in Saskatoon with a time of 5:16.24, and 128 points., but the stop in Medicine Hat brought him up to 10th with 108 points, and a combined time of 3:12.04. His time of 5:28.92 in High River put him in 14th with 113 points.
Irvine believes the Strathmore Stampede was his best finish. He won first place on day-one with a time of 1:15.12.
“I had a couple of horses get hurt the first day at Ponoka, and I missed them in Calgary. The first day I had them back was the first day in Strathmore, and we won first day money.”
He noted that missing some of his horses during the two biggest shows was a factor for his 30th place finish at Ponoka with 96 points, and 28th in Calgary with a time of 9:59.23.
“I’m trying to be perfect, and (the horses) are good. But, they’re not perfect yet,” Irvine expressed.
This is his 21st year competing in the chuckwagon circuit. He said he’s not sure if he could ever do anything else after all of these years.
“Now, my kids are really getting into it. To see their passion and drive to keep going and get going every year and every show, that kind of fuelled my fire a little bit.”
Irvine was hopeful heading into the Dawson Creek Exhibition, and wanted a big finish at the Battle of the North.
He ended the weekend in fifth with a ttoal time of 5:18.38.
The final stop of the year for Irvine is Rocky Mountain House for the Battle of the Rockies from Aug. 16 to 19.
