TARP AUCTION TOTALS UP
Two ladies representing a local company showed up at the World Professional Chuckwagon Association tarp auction on Tuesday night at the TEC Centre at Evergreen Park with a budget and the goal of securing their logo on a wagon at the Grande Prairie Stompede and battle of the North in Dawson Creek,
They took a shot at some the top 20 drivers, but got out-bid on tarps for either one or both of the shows.
With about 10 drivers still to go the pair left the TEC Centre and handed the bidding duties over to Stompede president Willie Kempin.
Kempin ended up spending all their money on a driver near the bottom of the WPCA standings from 2009 and it was no bargain. He ended up paying more than many of the drivers in the top half of the standings sold for.
It’s a trend that didn’t disappoint Kempin.
“It’s nice to see the lower end up,” the Stompede president said of the narrowing of the gap between the haves and have-nots. “They all travel down the same road, have the same number of horses and same expenses. It will help them to improve.”
There is another trend Kempin liked – all but one show was up over 2009 totals. The overall total for the eight WPCA shows came in at $1,276,250.00 – up $93,000.00 over 2009 totals.
The top selling show of 2010 for the second consecutive year was the Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship. It totaled a very impressive $202,000.00 up $10,500.00 over its 2009 total of $191,500.00. The average bid came in at $5,611.11 with the median bid at $5,125.00. High bid of $19,500.00 went to local hero Rae Croteau Jr.
The second highest total was Stompede at $194,500, up $18,500.00 from $176,000.00 in 2009. The average bid came in at $5,402.78 with the median bid at $5,000.00. High bid of $10,000.00 went to Hugh Sinclair Kelly Sutherland of Grande Prairie and Jason Glass of High River.
“That’s great,” said Kempin of the Stompede totals. “I’m happy and I’m excited for the lower-end guys.”
Another trend that appears to be getting more popular is drivers purchasing their own tarps and then selling them off themselves.
“It’s a sign of the times,” said Sutherland.
Some drivers, he says, aren’t salesmen and don’t get involved in self-purchasing.
“Some can do it and there are some that can’t do it at all,” he said.
The final auction of the year will be for the Ponoka Stampede which will take place on Friday, May 8, 2009 at the new Stagecoach Saloon on on the Ponoka Stampede Grounds. Last years Ponoka Stampede auction brought in a total of $304,500.00.
The WPCA season kicks off with Stompede May 26-30.
