Latest news with #ChanseVigen
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Best feeling in the world': Chanse Vigen captures first Rangeland Derby title with 'rockstar' drive
'The Rangeland Derby Rockstar' finally lived up to his nickname. Chanse Vigen did what he wasn't able to do last year and outraced Jason Glass across the finish line in the championship final heat of the 2025 Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta. 'I just feel like I've been working towards this my whole life,' said Vigen, who's originally from Grande Prairie, Alta., but now lives in Calgary with his wife Brie. 'I just feel so relieved.' And how did it feel to add a bit more punch to the nickname that track announcer Les McIntyre gave him? 'I wasn't trying to rock anything,' said Vigen in regards to winning chuckwagon's ultimate prize in his fourth trip to the final heat. 'I just wanted to win the race and I've never wanted something so bad. It's the best feeling in the world. There's a lot of emotion running through me right now. It's the best night of my life.' After finishing third one year ago, Vigen was able to execute a perfect figure-eight turn around the barrels in his wagon to secure his spot along the rail before racing around the Stampede Park track in 1:13.44 to beat Glass — the defending champion — and his Birchcliff Energy outfit across the line by 1.27 seconds. In his first time competing in the Rangeland Derby final, Jamie Laboucane (Panorama Advisory Group) hit a barrel and wound up in third spot. 'You're never comfortable when you're hooked (with) Jason Glass and Jamie Laboucane,' said Vigen, who finished third in last year's final. 'They're the two fiercest competitors out there, probably not to take anything away from anybody. They're just so tough and consistent and loaded with horsepower, and it was a tough race. I don't know if there was a favourite to win the race tonight. Anybody could have won that race, and our horses just responded and answered the bell.' Racing down the final stretch and hearing the roar of crowd at GMC Stadium was something Vigen will never forget. 'I saw my whole life flash before my eyes,' said Vigen, who looked back to make sure his outriders Rory Gervais and Ethan Motowylo were behind him, which they were. 'I knew we were going to win.' Outrider Trey MacGillivray, who also worked with the team throughout the 10-day show, also accompanied Vigen to the stage to be honoured for his efforts. Although he wasn't able to duplicate the success he had when he won his first Rangeland Derby title, Logan Gorst (International Petroleum Group) still won the Richard Cosgrave Memorial and Safety Award and a $30,000 bonus for finishing with the fastest cumulative time through 10 nights among drivers who didn't take a penalty. Besides the $80,000 payout doled out in the final heat, an additional $78,200 was paid out to the other drivers on Sunday. Aboard his STARS/De Havilland Aircraft of Canada rig, Wade Salmond finished his Stampede off strong with the fastest time of the night. Salmond recorded with a time of 1:13.18, the fastest of the first eight heats, to take home $6,000. Rory Gervais won the Atco Outrider Award and a cheque for $2,000. Ethan Motowylo finished second, while his brother Hayden Motowylo placed third. Both won $1,000 … D.J. King won the Orville Strandquist Memorial rookie driver award and received an additional payday of $3,000 … Vigen, Laboucane and Glass all had horses win Equine Athlete of Excellence Awards. Vigen's right leader Junior and Laboucane's left leader 3Score were honoured for their excellence as was Glass's outriding horse. Chad Fike's left wheeler Bro and Obrey Motowylo's right wheeler Bugsy were also given awards as was Darcy Flad's outriding horse Wade.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Laboucane leads the way on Day 8 at the Rangeland Derby to close in on spot in finals
When things haven't gone wrong, they've gone very right for Jamie Laboucane at the 2025 Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby. Laboucane's team won the day money Friday night on Day 8 of the derby, running a 1:11.52, besting second-place finisher Jason Glass by one tenth of a second. Chad Fike was third, with Chance Bensmiller and Rae Croteau Jr. rounding out the top five. Despite picking up a couple of two-second penalties this week, Laboucane remains firmly entrenched in the top three, who will face off against each other in a championship heat Sunday. Chanse Vigen remains on top, with an aggregate total of 9:41.81, which puts him 1.54 seconds in front of Laboucane. 2024 Rangeland Derby champ Jason Glass sits third, with a 1.68 second lead over Obrey Motowylo. Chad Fike is fifth, 2.04 seconds out of third.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Chanse Vigen kicks it into high gear to take the day money Wednesday night at Rangeland Derby
Chanse Vigen jumped the gun Wednesday night but even a one-second penalty couldn't slow him down as Vigen claimed the day money at the 2025 Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby. After a brief shower ahead of Day 6, the sun came out for the late heats, bathing the track in magic hour sunlight, as Vigen squared off against Jamie Laboucane and Rae Croteau Jr. Vigen started to roll forward just ahead of the horn, costing him an extra second, but still managed to finish with a 1:12.85, putting him 23 one-hundredths of a second ahead of defending champ Jason Glass. 2019 Rangeland Derby champ Logan Gorst placed third, while Chad Fike finished fourth despite a one-second penalty. Motowylo finished fifth. Vigen took the day money for the second time at the 2025 Rangeland Derby. In the chase for a spot in the top three who will compete in Sunday's final, Vigen leads with a six-day aggregate total of 7:14.85. He has a 2.56 second lead over Laboucane, who had a two-second penalty Wednesday when one of his outriders knocked a barrel. Ray Croteau Jr. is in third, Gorst is fourth -- only 76 one-hundredths of a second out of third -- while Motowylo sits alone in fifth. Motowylo is mourning the death of his mom earlier this week. and said on the broadcast Wednesday night that he's dedicating his 2025 Rangeland Derby to her memory. The Rangeland Derby resumes Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jamie Laboucane leaves runner-up status in rearview by winning Night 3 of Rangeland Derby
Jamie Laboucane was oh-so close to having the top time on the second night of the Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta. After finishing in a tie with Chanse Vigen on Saturday — just 1/100ths of a second behind Obrey Motowylo — Laboucane did one better on Sunday and was rewarded as the Hottest Heat of the Night winner. Off barrel No. 2 in the ninth heat aboard his Panorama Advisory Group chuckwagon, Laboucane completed the figure-eight pattern around the barrels cleanly and raced around the GMC Stadium track in Sunday's quickest clocking of 1:13.79. 'I've just got to try to drive clean,' said Laboucane, who beat Vigen and his outfit by 44/100ths of a second for the quickest clocking of the evening. 'I know the horses are going to run for me. Honestly, I probably cut 'er a little bit too tight. I rolled that top barrel, but I got away lucky. Some other drivers didn't. It's a long 10 days, and sometimes you need a little luck to win.' The other drivers who weren't so lucky were defending Calgary Stampede champion Jason Glass, who crunched a barrel in the seventh heat as did Kurt Bensmiller — a four-time winner of the coveted chuckwagon championship — one race later. 'I think (the track) was a little bit heavier, as I found out as well,' said Laboucane in regards to the afternoon rains that made track conditions slower than the first two nights. 'Guys probably just cut 'er a little bit too tight. I can't judge them because I came darn close, as well.' One night after edging Laboucane and Vigen for the fastest time, Obrey Motowylo and his Len T Wong & Associates Real Estate outfit had another strong showing, this time finishing third in 1:14.76. As far as the aggregate standings go, Vigen maintained his spot atop the leaderboard with a three-night time of 3:38.79. 'Chanse Vigen, he's rocking it,' said Laboucane, who's sitting in second spot just 23/100ths of a second behind his rival. Rae Croteau Jr. (Bar L5 Ranch) is currently holding down the third spot in the cumulative standings followed closely by Kris Molle (Graf Mechanical Ltd.), Evan Salmond (De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd.) and Chad Fike (Steelhaus Trayton).
CTV News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Obrey Motowylo wins a squeaker Saturday night at Stampede Rangeland Derby
Obrey Motowylo won the second night of the Rangeland in a squeaker Saturday night at the Calgary Stampede. Obrey Motowylo won Saturday night at the chucks by about as long as it takes to blink. In front of a packed grandstand on a mild Saturday night in Calgary, Motowylo nipped both Chanse Vigen and Jamie Laboucane by one one-hundredth of a second Saturday to claim the day money, with a time of 1:12.30 in the ninth heat. Defending Rangeland Derby champion Jason Glass finished fourth, with Rae Croteau Jr. rounding out the top five. The top four finishers were separated by seven one-hundredths of a second. Overall, Chanse Vigen, with a pair of second-place finishes, leads the aggregate standings with 2:24.56, which puts him 67 hundredths of a second in front of Jamie Laboucane, who has been in the top three both nights. Defending champ Jason Glass is third. The top three aggregate finishers after next Saturday's races advance to the championship final heat next Sunday. Motowylo, who's a farmer and rancher in Hoadley, Alberta, in the off-season, had 22 Top 10 finishes in 2024. including the Ponoka -- which he won in 2009-- and Strathmore Stampedes. The 2025 Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby continues Sunday night at 7:30 p.m.
