Hand Hills chuckwagon racer Colt Cosgrave captured his first Ponoka Stampede Championship on Sunday, July 3, taking home $50,000, a new GMC pickup truck, and the 2016 Ponoka championship crown.
Cosgrave won the dash for cash final heat at the Ponoka Stampede, one of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association’s most prestigious events on the pro tour, and his first championship win since Red Deer in 2006.
“It comes down to the horses and a little bit of luck. A couple guys hit some barrels and we stayed clean,” said Cosgrave.
In the championship heat, Cosgrave and outriders Chance Flad and Chad Cosgrave went penalty free in a 1:15.23 from barrel position two, beating out Codey McCurrach of Eckville, 31 one hundreths of a second behind Cosgrave.
He hopes his horses ran just as hard as they have all season in the upcoming Calgary Stampede WPCA competition which begins this Friday, July 8 until July 17.
“Calgary is the big one – it’s ten days, so if you can stay clean for ten days you got a real good shot at being there,” said Cosgrave. “You got to be fast and clean.”
Cosgrave placed second overall at the Ponoka Stampede last year. He placed 23 overall at the Calgary Stampede last year.