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It was an historic night for the Calgary Stampede.
The Stampede canvas auction raised a record amount for the drivers in this year’s Rangeland Derby.
Sponsors paid a combined total of $6,075,000 to win the opportunity to showcase their brand on a driver’s chuckwagon canvas throughout this year’s Calgary Stampede, smashing the previous record of $4,015.000, which was set in 2012.
Chuckwagon driver Rae Croteau Jr., one of 27 drivers whose canvas was up for auction, also garnered a new record bid for a single canvas at $550,000 from Bar L5 Ranch, in Aldersyde — nearly doubling the previous record high bid of $300,000 for a single canvas.
Chuckwagon driver Rae Croteau Jr. celebrates after setting a new record bid for a single canvas at this year’s Calgary Stampede canvas auction.
Global News
“It’s a shocker,” said Croteau Jr. “It means it’s time to win. I’m a competitive person. I didn’t think we were gonna go for that much. So I’m still vibrating from it. We love it. That’s why we’re here.”
“This kind of support sets you up for the year. It’s not just the races, it’s the off-season too — buying horses, building depth, sourcing feed — it even helps get the kids to hockey in the winter,” Croteau Jr. added.
The 27 chuckwagon drivers in this year’s Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby garnered a total bid amount of $6,075,000, smashing the old record by more than $2,000,000.
Courtesy: Calgary Stampede
“Maybe companies are making choices not to put people on planes and take them to an event in the U.S. to go watch a hockey game, and they’re saying we wanna do it here. We wanna show people what we have and why we’re so proud of it,” said Heidi Lindgren, who, along with her husband Darren, made the winning bid.
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“The energy in that room was palpable,” said Stuart O’Connor, chair of the Calgary Stampede. “Everybody got behind the bidding — and I hope (it) is a precursor for what’s coming down this summer. We are absolutely thrilled.”
Heidi and Darren Lindgren, owners of Bar L5 Ranch in Aldersyde, just south of Calgary, made this year’s winning bid of $550,000 for a single canvas.
Global News
“There were eight new bidders and you know that again is a reflection of the support for chuckwagon racing and to be able to bring in those eight new bidders and actually win is phenomenal,” O’Connor added.
For many Calgarians, the canvas auction is also considered a bellwether of the health of the local economy.
“There’s economic uncertainty, but we also know that oil prices have spiked here recently as a result of world events,” said Joel Cowley, CEO of the Calgary Stampede.
“Last year we had $3.8 million total, so yesterday, I would have said if we can just get close to that, that would be fantastic. So to surpass $6 million is just absolutely incredible.”
This year’s Calgary Stampede takes place from July 3 to 12.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
