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Calgary Herald

Rangeland Derby demonstration driver gig 'dream come true' for Cruise Bensmiller

Cruise Bensmiller demonstrated just how good his driving skills are by finishing 11th in the World Professional Chuckwagon Association standings last season. Article content For his efforts, he was rewarded by being named one of the two Chuckwagon 101 demonstration drivers at the 2025 Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta. Article content 'This is a dream come true to me,' said the 22-year-old reinsman from Dewberry, Alta., who holds bragging rights that he's the sport's first fifth-generation driver. Article content Article content After his great-great-grandfather Wesley Smith took up driving chuckwagons in the 1940s, Bensmiller's great-grandpas Allen Smith and Allan Bensmiller followed suit and both were finalists in Calgary at the Stampede. Article content Article content His grandpa Buddy Bensmiller won it all in Calgary in 1979, 1989 and 2003, while his uncles Kurt, Chance and David Bensmiller all took up the sport as well. Kurt won four Rangeland Derby titles in five years between 2014 and 2018. Article content 'They're all champions,' said the youngest Bensmiller in regards to his talented family members — which include his mom Lisa Bensmiller and stepfather Vern Nolin — who have paved the way in the sport before him. Throughout the Stampede, Bensmiller has been splitting duties as the demonstration driver prior to the start of the nine heats of racing with Colby Stanley from the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association. Each of the drivers work the gig on alternate nights. Article content Article content 'The demonstration's super important,' said Bensmiller during a behind-the-barns tour for the media in Calgary on Tuesday morning. 'There's lots of people that haven't seen wagons before, so (it's good) for them to kind of just focus on one wagon and see what one wagon does before the craziness of all three wagons.' Article content With a pair of outriders helping him out, Bensmiller guides his horses to the starting line and then around the two barrels in a figure-eight pattern before racing around the track, all while track announcer Les McIntyre explains the action to fans in addition to describing the various penalties that could occur. Article content 'I kind of black out,' said Bensmiller when asked if he can hear McIntyre calling his race. 'I try to focus on the horses as much as I can, but yeah, I do listen to Les. And yeah, Les has been doing this a long time and for him to say my name at a venue like this is just an amazing feeling.'