A High River chuckwagon driver finished last in his heat on Saturday night, but it did not matter because he was still number one in the world.
Jason Glass’ penalty-free run of 1:16.09 was good enough to clinch the World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA) championship, giving him a 68-point margin (1,174 to 1,106) over Kirk Sutherland Saturday at the Battle of the Rockies in Rocky Mountain House.
It was Glass’ fourth world title and his third in the past five years.
“The world is the hardest thing to win,” the 41-year-old Glass said. “It is the truest championship — it is every day combined together, instead of just one race and one weekend. It is so hard to achieve. Any time you can put a year together and beat the other 35 guys, that’s special — it’s something that I can’t explain.”
Glass went into the Battle of the Rockies, the final WPCA event of the season, with an 84-point lead over Sutherland.
Sutherland admitted his chances were next to nil going into Rocky Mountain House.
“No, I didn’t think it was going to happen,” Sutherland said. “It would have taken a no-time from Jason and he is just too consistent of a driver to do that.”
Consistency was Glass’ goal going into the 2012 season.
“My main goal from year to year is I like to run as well the last show as I did the first show,” Glass said. “To have the horses healthy, look good and to be strong from the first day to the last.”
He was close. Glass won the opening WPCA event, the Grande Prairie Stompede, May 23-27. He was fifth in the aggregate at the Battle of the Rockies last weekend. Of the eight shows on the WPCA circuit, Glass had five top five finishes in the aggregate and he was sixth in High River. He was never in the bottom half of the 36 drivers in an event all season.
He credits a deep barn for his success in 2012.
“There are so many race days, you can’t rely on four horses,” he said. “We have used all of our horses this year.”
Glass has 30 horses at his ranch near High River, 20 he hitches to his wagon, the other 10 for outriding.
Glass won his first championship in 2000 when he was 29, but he feels he’s much better at handling his horses as he hits his early 40s.
“I like to think I learn more each year,” Glass said. “I don’t want to quit learning — these horses can teach you so much… I find now I can handle horses that aren’t perfect to drive. I guess I am better at getting out of trouble.”
Getting married to Brienne Glass and having to raise a pair of twins has helped put things in perspective.
“I don’t get excited as fast — I have a lot more patience than I used to have,” he said.
Glass also gave credit to the barn staff, calling his crew one of the best he has ever had.
The High River chuckwagon driver’s world championships were in 2000, 2008, 2009, and now 2012. (Kelly Sutherland won in 2010 and 2011). He is already planning for next year. Glass said he is heading to Kentucky in the near future to look for horses for 2013.
Hugh Sinclair won The Battle of the Rockies beating High River born Colt Cosgrave as well as Chanse Vigen and Sutherland in the $20,000 Dash for Cash Sunday.
