2026 Calgary Stampede canvas auction rakes in over $6M
Posted Apr 9, 2026 8:18 am.
Last Updated Apr 10, 2026 2:16 pm.
It was a record-breaking night at the 2026 Calgary Stampede Canvas Auction Thursday.
The top bid was $550,000 for Rae Croteau Jr., who will carry the Bar L5 Ranch tarp.
“I had a notion that they wanted to come in and be high, but I didn’t think we were gonna go for that much,” he said following the event at Stampede Park. “So I’m still vibrating from it.
“Kelly [Sutherland] held it before and I talked to him tonight, and I said, ‘I’m gonna beat your record tonight.’ And he’s like, ‘that’ll be good for the sport.’”
Heidi and Darren Lindgren, who own Bar L5 Ranch, say they are happy to contribute.
“It was a little higher than we thought, but worth it,” Heidi said.
“Yeah, we just wanted to support the drivers,” Darren added.
The second-highest bid of the night came in at $475,000 from Shaw GMC, backing driver Layne MacGillivray.
Jason Glass, whose chuckwagon held the top bid at last year’s auction, raised $250,000 this time around, but says the excitement of the event hasn’t faded.
“For me, it’s not all about just winning,” he said. “It’s about the sponsor, friends, family, you know, the whole city, just the whole fans. And you know, everything about our sport revolves around — the horses and the western heritage.”
The $6.075 million raised secures sponsorship spots on 27 chuckwagons set to race in the Rangeland Derby during this year’s Calgary Stampede.
Drivers say this money is critical.
“Good kick start for them to help feed their barns, fuel for their vehicles, for their animals and just support them as they go through the races,” explained Justian Wylie, chair of the Chuckwagon Relay Committee.
The 2026 Calgary Stampede runs July 3-12.
