NEWS FILE PHOTO
Luke Tournier cruises down a stretch of dirt during Thursday's World Professional Chuckwagon Association races at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede grounds in 2016. Tournier is back for the Hat races this year, which start Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 7 p.m. The finale is Sunday at 2 p.m.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
Luke Tournier will look to climb back to the top of the leaderboard when the World Professional Chuckwagon Association returns to the half-mile at the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede grounds this evening.
Tournier took top spot when the WPCA stopped in Medicine Hat two years ago, and after kicking off his season with a championship in Grande Prairie he’s ready to take another run at the local title.
“We’ve had some success here,” said Tournier. “We like it here, there’s lots of room, it’s a nice town to do business in and the track surface is nice. It may be a little short, but it’s good ground and good footing.”
Tournier added he wasn’t positive how dominant his horses would be when he opened the season in Grade Prairie two weeks ago, but they pleasantly surprised him.
“It went real well, kind of unexpectedly,” he said. “We weren’t sure how the horses were working but they worked better at the show than they were at home.”
Tournier sits fourth in the WPCA points race, at 320, after settling for a 10th place finish at the second leg of the circuit last weekend in Saskatoon. Kurt Bensmiller holds first place with 340.5 points after taking second in Grande Prairie and fifth in Saskatoon. Evan Salmond, who took sixth in Grande Prairie and fourth in Saskatoon, is second with 326 points while Vern Nolin sits two points behind in third following a second place result in Saskatoon and a third place finish in Grande Prairie.
“There’s lots of good drivers,” said Tournier. “It’s always tough to win, which is good. It motivates you and makes you be on your toes.”
Tournier added a thank you to all the sponsors and volunteers who keep the WPCA a success year after year.
Day 1 of the Medicine Hat WPCA kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. The four-day event concludes with Sunday’s 2 p.m. finale.
