Courtesy Mark Sutherland Chuckwagon Team Facebook

By Lisa Parent

Seasoned chuckwagon driver seeks win in Medicine Hat before retirement

Jun 23, 2023 | 3:57 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A sunny weekend ahead means some great viewing for a leg of the World Professional Chuckwagon races. 37 drivers and hundreds of horses are in Medicine Hat for the annual event. For one chuck driver, this weekend holds some sentiment.

Mark Sutherland has been driving chuckwagons for over 30 years, and is retiring this season. He’s been attending the Medicine Hat chuckwagon races since he started at 23 years old. As his full-time job, he’s put immense effort into his practice.

Sutherland has won four times on the WPCA Pro Tour, with a signature at the 2019 Ponoka Stampede. Mark also won WPCA’s Chuckwagon Person of the Year in 2011.

He may have to say goodbye to the sport soon, but not without another shot at winning the WPCA.

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“My plan is to make the finals and then if you get lucky you can win it. I haven’t won Medicine Hat in my career so, I’ve won a couple other shows but not this one, that’d be nice I guess, a good way to go out,” says Sutherland.

Sutherland will also be attending the Ponoka and the Calgary Stampede before he hangs up his reins for the last time.