Chad Fike gave credit where credit is due — to his horses.
The leader in the aggregate standings at the 2024 Cowboys Rangeland Derby has relied on two outfits to put him into first place.
“I’ve got a barn full of beautiful horses in there,” said Fike, who had a cumulative time 4:47.65 through four nights of racing to lead Jamie Laboucane by 1.63 seconds. “They try their butts off for me every night. They’re beautiful athletes and they deserve all the credit. I’m just grateful to own the horses.”
Aboard his Summit Fleet/Shaw GMC Chevrolet Buick wagon on Monday, Fike raced around the Stampede Park track in a time of 1:12.30 to win the ninth heat.
“I had a couple veterans on there,” said the 38-year-old reinsman from Cremona, Alta. “There was an Equine Award winner — he’s been a champion right wheeler on the WPCA (World Professional Chuckwagon Association) the last two years — Rocco, and then Legend on the right lead with Cowboy on the left lead. Then a rookie horse that was probably in his, I want to say, fourth or fifth race ever tonight on the left wheel, Holiday.
“I’m super proud of ’em. They worked good and we got around there clean. It wasn’t a super fast time (Monday), but clean was the name of the game.”
Fike decided to go with his other outfit of Blue and Blacktop as his left and right leaders on Tuesday, who will be joined by Bro and Rider as his left and right wheelers.
“I’ve got two outfits that can run me in the top five pretty consistently,” said Fike on Tuesday morning during a barn tour for media members to learn about the daily activities of drivers and how they care for their horses. “I haven’t put the same outfit two consecutive nights yet. I’ve been alternating every night, just the way the draw’s worked out for me. This is the outfit that got day money the first night that’s going (Tuesday).”
Although he’s happy to be atop the standings, Fike cautioned that there’s still a long way to go before the top three drivers earn the right to compete in next Sunday’s championship Dash For Cash.
“It’s definitely a marathon,” he said. “It’s not a sprint. You don’t win this show in one day, but you can sure lose it in one day. Every second matters out there on the race track, because when it comes down to Day 9, it’s going to be less than a second to get into … the top heat.”
Out of the top six in the standings, Fike is one of two drivers (the other is defending champion Layne MacGillivray) who has yet to take a penalty through four nights of action.
“Obviously, there’s some really tough outfits and they’re starting to take some penalties and we’re just keeping ’er clean and consistent,” Fike said. “That’s our strategy all along and that’s going to continue to be our strategy going forward.
“The horses are working good and they’re just getting stronger as the week goes on. So is everyone else’s, but that’s just the way it goes.”
One driver who Fike has noticed in his rearview mirror at this year’s Calgary Stampede is Troy Dorchester, who won the sixth heat in Monday’s fastest time of 1:10.93, which moved the veteran reinsman into eight spot in the standings.
“I wasn’t surprised,” said Fike of Dorchester, who won the Rangeland Derby in 2012. “He’s got a really nice outfit there. They can really haul.
“Troy knows how to win. He’s been on the stage before. He’s been in a little bit of a rebuild the last few years, but it’s good to see him crack out and make some big runs.”
Dorchester credited his quick clocking on Monday to his horses having an early charge, which carried him to the victory aboard his Interact rig.
“They’ve got lots of early speed,” said affable 51-year-old driver from Westerose, Alta. “I haven’t had lots of that. The year I won it here in 2012, it was closing speed. I turned close and then I’d come-a runnin’, but the track’s changed. It’s shortened, so we bought a little more early speed horses the last few years.”
Getting back in the winner’s circle was special for Dorchester, who hasn’t liked the start he has had to his WPCA season.
“I haven’t had a great year on the tour — too many crunched barrels and stuff,” admitted Dorchester. “The outfits have been working good, just a little bit of driver issues.
“Coming here is a clean slate and I’ve always liked racing here. It brings a different mental game here. You just kind of go in and it’s brand new year kind of thing, so that’s the way I look at it when I get to Calgary.”