World Professional Chuckwagon driver Grant Profit watched as longtime sponsor Ja-Co Welding purchased his tarp for the first four races including Calgary.
In total, Profit will see $30,750 in sponsorship dollars to help him compete in this yearís World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA) tour beginning May 23 in Grande Prairie. Sponsors bid on tarp space for this yearís WPCA at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino, April 3.
ìI have had Ja-Co Welding for nine years, and they have decided to go as far as Calgary, then they are going to retire from the sport,î said Profit. ìItís sad to see them go. Itís going to be different running other sponsors on the tarp.î
Sponsorship is important in any professional sport, but even more important in a sport where the athletes are both humans and horses.
ì(The money) goes towards everything from vitamins and feeding, to vet bills, to shoeing bills, outrider bills,î said Profit.
ìItís a fairly expensive sport to go down the road, and without sponsors you couldnít do it.î
Unlike most sports, sponsors gather to find advertising opportunities in the chuckwagon ranks via an annual tarp auction, instead of leaving it up to drivers to go business to business looking for support.
ìAn auction like this brings people together,î said Profit. ìAny time you can get a lot of people together that are interested in the same sport, it grows the sport more.î
After finishing third overall in last yearís standings behind Kelly Sutherland and Troy Dorchester, Profit hopes he can move up two spots and take a title.
ìIn our sport, its about consistency and keeping your horses sound and happy,î said Profit.
ìWe came up a little bit short last year. That Kelly Sutherland is an awesome driver and a helluva horseman. He is tough to beat.î
With great results in the 2011 campaign, Profit credits the team he has working with him for the success he has seen.
ìI am fortunate to have my wife and girls come with me all summer,î said Profit. ìThey are the real caregivers of our barn and without them we wouldnít have done as good as we have any of these years.î
Profit is looking forward to being in the last heat with the top four from last yearís standings at Grande Prairie, because even with a bad finish in that heat, it sets him up good for the rest of the races that weekend.
ìWe are hooking the last heat with Kelly (Sutherland), Troy (Dorchester), and Jerry Bremner, and it should be a real fast heat,î said Profit.
ìThe one thing about running with guys with a lot of power and a lot of speed is even if you come in on their stove rack, the guys in front of you should win the A-money, so you should be somewhere in the top 10. Itís different than following a slower wagon.î
