A Blackie area outrider clinched his second outriding world championship at the chuckwagon races named after his father.
Chad Cosgrave, 30, won the World Professional Chuckwagon Association outriding title with 8,922.5 points, finishing close to 500 points ahead of Chance Flad with 8,232 at the conclusion of the Richard Cosgrave Badlands Derby Aug. 28 in Drumheller.
“It’s a good way to end the year, this is as close to my hometown (he grew up in Hand Hills) as I can get for wagon racing,” Cosgrave said after the celebration on Sunday. “Tonight when they gave me the truck, I had my girlfriend, Lacey, my mom (Tara Cosgrave), my grandma Bernice Cosgrave with me for the pictures and stuff.
“It doesn’t get any better that that when you can share it with your whole family.”
Richard Cosgrave, Chad’s father, was killed in a chukwagon race in Kamloops, B.C. in 1993.
The Drumheller races had originally been scheduled for June but was cancelled due to rain. It was rescheduled for Aug. 26-28, enabling Chad to win the championship at the races named after his father.
One member who wasn’t in the picture was Chad’s brother Colt. However, that’s okay because they have been close their whole lives. As well, Chad’s been chasing Colt all year – hopefully finishing within 100 feet of Colt at the finish line to avoid any penalties.
Outriding for his older brother and seeing the success of Colt was the highlight of Chad’s season.
“The highlight for me was how good my brother was running this year,” he said. “If my brother does good, I’m happy. That’s what it is all about, family. “
Cosgrave had pretty well clinched the title after Saturday’s 12 heats of racing.
“I am kind of superstitious, I don’t really like to think or talk about it too much,” Cosgrave said. “But I pretty well had it licked after Saturday. I don’t think I even had to ride today and I would have had it.”
Cosgrave won his first championship in 2008. This year, there were fewer outriders on the WPCA circuit.
“There were about 14 of us this year, some years we have 18 or 19 guys,” Cosgrave said. “So back then, it was a lot harder to get a ride when than when there are only 14 of us.”
However, it wasn’t easy in 2011.
“It’s still just as tough,” Cosgrave said with a chuckle. “Chance and those guys were on my butt all year.”
Cosgrave has been riding since he was in his teens. He said his experience helps him get hired by the 36 chuckwagon drivers. In Sunday’s final day of racing, Cosgrave was up on 11 of 12 of the heats (Drumheller races three wagons a heat, rather than four in High River and Calgary.)
His top priority is to ride for his brother Colt. Then it is Jerry Brenner.
“I think I have been riding for 15 years and for Jerry 14 of them,” he said. “My second year of riding, Jerry gave me a ride and he never fired me. I took a few penalties for him early in my career and he stuck with me --- I have been fired by drivers before.”
His third priority in regards to drivers is his cousin, Jason Glass of High River.
Cosgrave is a wiser, calmer driver than he was some 15 years ago.
“You learn a lot of the tricks – some of the horses you have to start them when you get on and others you don’t,” Cosgrave said. “I am way calmer, way more mellow when I race – I am not as wired as I used to be when I rode as a kid.”
He added he has been helped by his partner, Lacey Hulbert, who supports him at all the races on the WPCA circuit.
He hopes to some day follow in his dad’s and Colt’s footsteps by sitting in the box, grabbing the reins and having the outriders chase him for a change.
“Yeah, I would like to drive someday,” Chad said. “I drive quite a bit in the spring with Colt and Jason, but I am not quite there yet. “You need the money and everything else to get going. I hope to soon.”
Chuckwagon round-up
Kelly Sutherland captured his 12th World Professional Chuckwagon Association championship with 1,227 points. Troy Dorchester finished second a 1,213.5 while Grant Profit was third.
Okotoks’ Mark Sutherland had a consistent year finishing sixth with 1,084.5, just ahead of Jason Glass of High River who was seventh at 1,073.5.
Colt Cosgrave was eighth.
High River’s Jordie Fike finished 24th and Brian Mayan was 35th in the WPCA final standings.
The Richard Cosgrave Memorial Badlands Derby was won by Mitch Sutherland on Sunday.
