Kelly Sutherland (chuckwagon)

Kelly Sutherland, nicknamed "The King",[1] (born October 29, 1951) is a professional rodeo competitor in chuckwagon racing. He is a 12-time world champion of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association and 12-time winner at the Calgary Stampede.[2]

Kelly Sutherland
NationalityCanadian
Born (1951-10-29) October 29, 1951
WPCA career
Debut season1969

Early life

Sutherland is from Grande Prairie, Alberta.[2] Chuckwagon racing is a family affair. Sutherland was inspired by his father, who was an amateur racer and other members of the family who competed.[3]

Career

He has been competing in chuckwagon racing since 1967.[2] Sutherland was 14 when he started racing. He was 22 when he won his first race. He can recall being on stage for the first time for an audience of 40,000. "When you're in the sport, you only dream about getting the opportunity to win and I was fortunate when I was young."[4]

He was an outrider for the first year, then began driving in 1968. His rookie season in the WPCA was 1969.[2] He competed in the 2016 Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby.[5][6] In 2010, Sutherland won the chuckwagon championship for the 11th time, breaking the world record. He was almost 60 years old when he won his final and 12th world championship. He also has a dozen championships from the Calgary Stampede, nine championships from the Ponoka Stampede, and one from his hometown of Grande Prairie.[4] He won his 12th and final world championship not long before his birthday in 2017. The year 2017 was his last year competing, as the event has a mandatory retirement age of 65.[6] Sutherland competed in his last race in Rocky Mountain House in west central Alberta. Sutherland spent 50 years guiding horses around the track.[4]

Awards
  • 2012 Calgary Stampede Guy Weadick Award[7]
  • 12 Calgary Stampede Championships
  • 12 World Championships
  • 7 time Calgary Stampede Aggregate Winner
  • 77 Champion final heats on World Professional Chuckwagon Association Circuit
  • 25 Victories in Championship heats on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association Circuit
  • $300,000 highest bid chuckwagon canvas sold at Calgary Stampede Canvas Auction (2012)

Source:[3][8]

Personal life

Sutherland owned a country bar in Canada in the 1980s, called Kelly's Bar at the Sutherland Inn, in Clairmont, Alberta.[9] His first Chuckwagon hung from the ceiling above the dance floor. Sutherland's wife Debbie has been riding with him ever since he began racing competitively.[3]

In 2009, Sutherland participated in the 2010 Winter Olympics as one of 13 torchbearers for his home town of Grande Prairie, Alberta. Each of the torchbearers rode down the main street of the town for the one-kilometre ride with the torch. He revealed that he will put the used torch on display with his 38 chuckwagon trophies.[10]

References
  1. "Long Live "the King": Kelly Sutherland is retiring from Racing". Calgary Stampede - Blog. www.calgarystampede.com. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  2. "Profile: Kelly Sutherland". World Professional Chuckwagon Association. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  3. "Long Live "the King": Kelly Sutherland is retiring from Racing". Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  4. "Legendary chuckwagon driver Kelly Sutherland retires after 50 years". CBC News. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  5. "Results (2016 Driver Results, Kelly Sutherland)". Calgary Stampede. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  6. Heinen, Laurence (July 5, 2014). "Kelly Sutherland continues to defy age at the Rangeland Derby". Calgary Herald. Sutherland doesn't have many more shots to win another title before he turns 65, after which time he's no longer eligible to compete in the Rangeland Derby.
  7. "Guy Weadick Award Winners". Calgary Stampede. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  8. Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. "Join us as we welcome the Class of 2020". todayville Red Deer. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  9. Jepson, Tim; Lee, Phil; Smith, Tania; Williams, Christian (2004). The Rough Guide to Canada. books.google.com. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843532668. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  10. "Carrying the Olympic Torch: Day 8 — Yellowknife to Cold Lake". Vancouver Sun. www.vancouversun. 7 November 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
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