What was a chuckwagon originally?

A cowboy cook wagon on cattle drives

Chuckwagon Racing Quiz: The Rangeland Derby at the Stampede

This chuckwagon racing quiz takes a seat in the grandstand for the Calgary Stampede's wildest race. Play 10 interactive questions on the 1923 debut, Guy Weadick, the cowboy cook wagons first built by Charles Goodnight, four-horse teams, outriders tossing the stove, the figure-eight barrel turn, the half mile of hell, penalties, tarp auctions and horse welfare.

Start Chuckwagon Racing Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Event
At which event is the Rangeland Derby held?
Start
When were chuckwagon races added to the Stampede?
Founder
Which Stampede promoter helped introduce the races?
Origin
What was a chuckwagon originally?
Team
How many horses pull a racing chuckwagon?
Outriders
What must outriders load at the start?
Turn
What pattern do wagons drive around barrels at the start?
Nickname
What is the race around the track nicknamed?
Penalty
What do penalties do to a driver's result?
Sponsors
How do sponsors claim a wagon's canvas cover?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: At which event is the Rangeland Derby held?
Answer: Calgary Stampede
Races run each evening.
Q2: When were chuckwagon races added to the Stampede?
Answer: 1923
They quickly became a crowd favorite.
Q3: Which Stampede promoter helped introduce the races?
Answer: Guy Weadick
He organized the first Stampede in 1912.
Q4: What was a chuckwagon originally?
Answer: A cowboy cook wagon on cattle drives
Charles Goodnight built an early one.
Q5: How many horses pull a racing chuckwagon?
Answer: Four
They are often retired Thoroughbreds.
Q6: What must outriders load at the start?
Answer: A stove into the wagon
They then race to catch up.
Q7: What pattern do wagons drive around barrels at the start?
Answer: A figure eight
Knocking a barrel brings a penalty.
Q8: What is the race around the track nicknamed?
Answer: The half mile of hell
Wagons race side by side.
Q9: What do penalties do to a driver's result?
Answer: Add seconds to the time
Late outriders also cost time.
Q10: How do sponsors claim a wagon's canvas cover?
Answer: At a tarp auction
Tarps carry company logos.

How the Rangeland Derby Races Work

Chuckwagons were cook wagons that fed cowboys on long cattle drives; rancher Charles Goodnight is credited with building an early one in 1866. At the Calgary Stampede, promoter Guy Weadick helped turn wagon races into a show, and they joined the program in 1923.

Each racing wagon is pulled by four horses, often retired Thoroughbreds. At the horn, outriders toss a stove into the wagon, and the driver steers a figure eight around barrels before racing onto the track for the so-called half mile of hell. Knocked barrels or late outriders add penalty seconds.

Sponsors win the right to put their logos on wagon canvas covers at the tarp auction. The races are thrilling but controversial, since horses have been injured and killed over the years. Organizers have added safety rules and vet checks to protect the animals.

What This Quiz Teaches

Rodeo fans will enjoy these questions.

Where chuckwagons came from
When racing began
How a race starts
How penalties work
What concerns surround it

Did You Know?

Several heats run each night of the Stampede.
Top drivers compete for a big final prize.
Drivers often come from ranching families.
The races finish in front of the grandstand.
Pro tours run in western Canada each summer.