CPCA Finals return to Halstead Downs

It’s every cowboys’ and cowgirls’ favourite weekend in the Border City as the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA) New Lloydminster Nissan Finals return to town.

Racing at the Lloyd Ex’s Halstead Downs kicked off last night with doors at 5 p.m. and heats starting at 6:30 p.m. nightly until championship Sunday’s 2 p.m. matinee.

Going into the finals, the CPCA’s top 10 drivers are Logan Gorst (1,115.5), Luke Tournier (1,098.5), Danny Ringuette (1,083.5), DJ King (1,046.5), Preston Faithful (1,035.5), Dallas Dyck (1,021), Devin

Mitsuing (1,016), Ryan Baptiste (1,008), Todd Baptiste (983.5) and Kris Flanagan (965).

The top 10 outriders going into the weekend are Logan Pethick (4,424.5), Wyatt Dyck (4,246.5), Ryan Martin (3,965), Quinn Langevin (3,743), Tiegan Larouche (3,724), Quaid Tournier (3,282), Tyler McKenzie (2,959.5), Kale Lajeunesse (2,331.5), Kona Jackson (1,738) and Buddy Gran (1,417).

The CPCA’s final stop before the finals wrapped up at Little Pine First Nation on Sunday afternoon with Luke Tournier taking Danny Ringuette and Logan Gorst with a time of 1:14.58.

Ringuette ran a

1:15.96 and Gorst ran a 1:17.67. The top five driver’s in day three’s aggregate were Luke Tournier (1:14.58), Preston Faithful (1:15.10), Todd Baptiste (1:15.14), Ryan Baptiste (1:15.31) and Danny Ringuette (1:15.96).

The weather forecast looks pretty welcom - ing for the first three days of racing, but drivers, outriders, and their horses, are hoping the rain holds out for the weekend.

Race fans are also reminded of this week’s various theme nights.

Wednesday is Wild West night, Thursday is Family Fun night and

Friday is Pink night (wear pink in support of breast cancer research).

Another can’t-miss event will be the Lloyd Ex’s 2nd annual Corgi race, which takes place after Sunday’s Dash.

Admission is $20 per person and kids 12 and under get in free. Saturday night will also fea - ture the annual Chuckwagon Cabaret featuring Washboard Union. Special guests, Nice Horse, will kick things off at 9 p.m. and doors open at 8:30 p.m. Presale tickets for the cabaret are $55 or $60 the day of the event and are available at lloydex. com/cpca-finals.