High River's Jason Glass and the reigning Calgary Stampede chuckwagon champion claimed the top bid last night at the Big Four Roadhouse.
The unofficial kick-off to the Calgary Stampede saw record numbers last night for the 45th annual Canvas Auction.
Glass reined in $230,000 from longtime sponsor Birchcliff Energy, beating his $150,000 bid from last year.
"Thank you to Birchcliff Energy, my longtime sponsor. They're an amazing group. I can't thank Birchcliff Energy enough."
Last year's top bid went to Kris Molle at $210,000, and he picked up the same amount this year, landing him in third place.
Other local favourite Dayton Sutherland, who's also an outrider with Glass's wagon, picked up $135,000.
Overall, $3.84 million was raised Thursday night, the event's third-highest total.
Glass added, "It was a great night for all the chuckwagon drivers and the sport of chuckwagon racing. It's so amazing the support that we have year after year. It's a really amazing Western heritage that Alberta has, and it was a really great night for everybody."
Only 27 wagons now compete at the iconic event on the Rangeland Derby.
The average bid price also broke a record with an average price of just over $142,000, which exceeded the previous record of just over $111,000.
The Calgary Stampede runs from July 4-13, 2025.