World Financial Group

Things are starting to heat up in the 2010 World Professional Chuckwagon Association season.  Among those in the hunt for first place is World Financial Group-sponsored Buddy Bensmiller, who he raced the WFG-tarped wagon in the Battle of the North at the Dawson Creek (AB) Exhibition from Aug. 11 - 15.  In this meet, Buddy raced in the ninth heat all four days opposite Luke Tounier, Kelly Sutherland and Chad Harden.

Day one got off to a slow start for the WFG-sponsored “Dewberry Rocket”, whose time of 1:17.59 meant a finish in fourth place and earned him 8 points in the standings. However, the second day of the “Battle of the North” was a better day for the WFG chuckwagon racer.  Buddy’s time of 1:15.64 , just eleven hundredths of a second off the leader, earned him second place and 30 points.

Day three of chuckwagon racing in Dawson Creek was Buddy’s best of the exhibition.  Facing off opposite Luke, Kelly and Chad resulted Buddy came in as the victor with a fast time of 1:15.95.  His first place finish was also good for 34 points.

The final day of racing saw Buddy and the WFG-tarped wasn’t as fast, with Buddy’s time of 1:20.37 being his slowest of the meet but still earned him 43 points.  For the “Battle of the North”, Buddy’s combined time of 6:26.29 was the twelfth fastest and he had a 145 points total.

Buddy still holds second place overall in aggregate points for the 2010 WPCA season, and there are three meets left before this season finishes.  Up next for the World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon racer is the Rocky Mountain House Chuckwagon Championship starting on August 19.  Visit wpca.com to see videos of Buddy and the WFG tarp in action.

World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon racer Buddy Bensmiller recently competed in Bonnyville, a town in east central Alberta, at the Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship from July 22-25.  Buddy and the WFG-tarped chuckwagon also raced in Strathmore, AB at the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship, which is scheduled during the Strathmore Heritage Days Stampede from July 29 to Aug. 2.  How did Buddy do?

On the first day in Bonnyville, the WFG-sponsored “Dewberry Rocket” faced off opposite Kelly Sutherland and Luke Tournier for the first three days of the four-day event. Buddy crossed the finish line third with a time of 1:18.58, both his opponents suffered significant penalties, which put Buddy’s time in first and earned him 18 points.

On the second day of competition Buddy improved his time in the chuckwagon with the WFG logo – crossing the finish line at 1:17.36, and tying for first with Luke and earning him 28 points.  Day three the WFG-sponsored driver crossed the finish line second with a time of 1:21.94 earning him 44.5 points. 

The final day at Bonnyville featured Buddy in a heat opposite Luke Tournier and Tony Dorchester. Buddy’s time of 1:19.48 was good for first in his heat and an additional 29 points, allowing the World Financial Group-sponsored racer to leave Bonnyville with a total racing time of 5:17.36 and 119.5 points - a top ten finish.

On day one in Strathmore Buddy faced Kelly Sutherland, Luke Tournier and Chad Harden. Buddy’s drive in the WFG-tarped chuckwagon earned him in a fourth place finish with a time of 1:17.59 and just 8 points.  Day two of the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship saw an improved time for Buddy - he finished second at 1:15.64, just 0.12 seconds off the leader, and earned 30 points.

The third day of the Championship, Buddy saw his fastest time - 1:15.26 - of the competition, earning him first place for his heat and 34 points in the standings.  Unfortunately, day four in Strathmore wasn’t as kind for Buddy, as he earned a third place finish and 43 points with his time of 1:20.37.

The last day of the Strathmore Heritage Days Stampede saw two new racers,- Codey McCurrach and Hugh Sinclair – running against the WFG-tarped chuckwagon and Chad Harden.  This heat ended in a fourth place finish for Buddy with a time of 1:17.43 and 30 points. 

Overall, Buddy finished the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship in twelfth place with a total racing time of 6:26.29 and 145 points.

The World Financial Group-sponsored driver is still in the running to win the 2010 WPCA season.  His total of 822.5 points has him in second place in the world standings, only 21 points behind the leader.

Buddy will have the chance to propel the World Financial Group tarp to first at the next competition – the Dawson Creek Battle of the North - that begins on August 11.  Keep on riding!

On June 11-13, World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon driver Buddy Bensmiller, in second place for the season, raced in the Medicine Hat (Alberta) Exhibition & Stampede.  How did Buddy fare over three days of racing?

For day one, Buddy competed in the twelfth (and last) heat of the day opposite Rae Croteau, Jr. and Buddy’s son, Kurt.  Buddy had a fast run of 1:03.07, which initially earned him third place.  However, one of Rae’s wheels knocked over a barrel, constituting a five second penalty and a serious deduction of points, which mean Buddy was bumped to second place and earning him 26 points.

During the second day in Medicine Hat, Buddy again faced off in heat number twelve opposite Rae and Kurt.  Day two was even kinder to our driver under the WFG tarp, as Buddy finished with a time of 1:01.35 - his fastest time this season - which earned him first place in his race and 33 points for a clean race.

Day three found Buddy again in the twelfth heat opposite the same two drivers.  As the saying goes the third time is the charm, and Buddy certainly was charmed, finishing the run with a time of 1:01.17 - even faster than yesterday.  He earned 68 points for his race. Buddy’s combined time of 3:05.59 earned him 129 total points and third place overall.

The current WPCA standings are even better for our World Financial Group-sponsored driver.  As of the end June Buddy Bensmiller is on top of the leader board with a total of 304 points.  Up next for Buddy is the North American Chuckwagon Championship in High River, AB this June 24-27.  I, and the rest of WFG, are behind you!

For yet another season of fast-paced chuckwagon racing, World Financial Group is proud to sponsor World Professional Chuckwagon Association racing legend Buddy Bensmiller.  And the 2010 WPCA started its season at the Grand Prairie Stompede in Alberta May 26-30. 

On day one, Buddy raced opposite Brian Mayan, Rae Croteau Jr. and Barry Hodgson in the fifth heat.  And the “Dewberry Rocket’s” first race of the season was a clean one for him.  His time of 1:18.48 earned him second place and 31 points, only less than two second off the lead. 

The second day of racing saw Buddy and the blue WFG chuckwagon in another fifth heat opposite the same three drivers.  Alas, day two was not very good for Buddy.  His racing team was given a false start penalty, resulting in a one second penalty.  As a result, his official time of 1:19.73 and 13 points placed him in third.

But day three turned out to be much better for the World Financial Group team.  In another fifth heat opposite the same drivers, Buddy raced across the finish line first with a time of 1:17.59.  This earned him 32 points.

And day four was even better as the “Dewberry Rocket” squeaked by the same competitors in the fifth heat with a time of 1:16.25.  This was enough to earn Buddy and the WFG tarp 66 points and second place among all 36 teams.  Way to go Buddy!

The last day saw a change of pace.  Buddy raced in the penultimate heat opposite Darcy Flad, Tim Haroldson and David Bensmiller, Buddy’s son – but this didn’t throw Buddy off his rhythm.  He took the early lead and never let it go, even facing down a late challenge from his son.  His time of 1:19.54 earned him the win and 35 points.  Among all racers, he placed second for the day.

Overall, the Grand Prairie Stompede was great for Buddy and the WFG tarp.  His combined time of 6:31.59 and 177 points places him in second among all teams going into the next event in Dewberry, Buddy’s hometown, starting on June 4.  Let’s wish Buddy continued success this season!

When most people think of sports in Edmonton, AB, they most likely think of hockey, with the Oilers and Wayne Gretzky coming to mind.  But once a year, the Dodge WPCA tour visits Edmonton for the 2009 Dodge World Chuckwagon Championship.  Among those participating was World Financial Group (WFG)-sponsored chuckwagon driver Buddy Bensmiller.   

Day one of the final meet of the season saw Buddy and the WFG tarp racing against Mike Vigen, Tyler Helmig and Rae Croteau, Jr.   Buddy’s team of horses was very anxious to start their fifth heat race.  So anxious, in fact, that they drew a false start penalty.  But when everyone realigned for a proper start, Buddy found himself at the finish line second with a time of 1:24.  However, his false start added an additional second for a total finish of 1:25 and only 6 points. 

On the second day of racing, Buddy’s horses were calmer.  Facing off against the same three teams in the fifth heat, the “Dewberry Rocket” crossed the finish line third with a time of 1:23.22.  However, first place finisher Rae Croteau, Jr. had a Wheel Knocked Barrel penalty.  With five seconds added to Croteau’s time, Buddy finished second and gained 22 points. 

Racing on day three had the WFG-tarped wagon finishing fourth on the track with a time of 1:24.49 and only 5 points in the fifth heat.  But the first place finisher, Tyler Helmig, had a wheel knock one of his barrels, resulting in a five second penalty.  That bumped Tyler to last place and raised Buddy’s finish to third. 

Day four saw Buddy again in the fifth heat racing against Mike, Tyler and Rae. Buddy drove the WFG tarp across the finish line in fourth with a time of 1:29.15 and 12 points.  But Buddy had a cleaner race than Rae, who earned both a false start and a failure to stop at the bottom barrel penalties.  As a result, Buddy officially ended in third place. 

The 2009 Dodge Chuckwagon Championship came to a close on September 5.  In a change of pace, Buddy raced in the first heat opposite Barry Hodgson, Hugh Sinclair and Dave Bensmiller, Buddy’s son.  In a race for time and not points, Buddy finished third with a time of 1:23.15.  (Dave came in fourth, in case you’re curious.) 

For the Edmonton meet, Buddy finished in the 29^th spot out of 36 teams.  His totals were 7:05.01 and 45 points.  For the 2009 season, our WFG-sponsored team finished 21^st with 895 points.  We at World Financial Group congratulate Buddy for an exciting 2009 WPCA season and wish him all the best in his future chuckwagon racing adventures.

According to the Environment Canada, the town of Red Deer, AB averages 70.1 milliliters (or 2.76 inches) of rain during the entire month of August.  This August the rain in Red Deer decided to come all at once – or at least seemed to - during The 2009 Red Deer Chuckwagon Championship.  Two days of racing were rained out, giving World Financial Group-sponsored driver Buddy Bensmiller only two days to show his stuff on the half mile of “heck”.

The opening day of racing, Thursday, featured Buddy and the WFG tarp in the fifth heat opposite Mike Vigen, Tyler Helmig and Rae Croteau, Jr.  Buddy didn’t have his best day racing, coming in fourth with a time of 1:19.12 and only four points.

Hopes were high for a second day of racing, but the weather brought steady rain, making racing conditions unfavorable.  Rains continued into the third day, causing the event to be shortened to two days.  But that fourth day of racing proved fruitful for the “Dewberry Rocket”.

On Sunday, Buddy faced off against the same three racers in heat five.  And the rains may have paid off for the World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon driver.  Buddy and his team crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:18.93 and 24.5 points for a clean race.

So, for the two day Red Deer Championship, Buddy finished 23rd overall with a time of 2:38.05 and 28.5 points.  In the world standings, he now stands 18th with 850 points.  And we have one more race to go.  The Dodge World Chuckwagon Championship will take place September 1-5 in Edmonton.  Here’s to continued success for Buddy from your friends at World Financial Group (WFG)!

Some of you may remember the TV show “Dawson’s Creek”.  Viewers tuned in every week to watch the goings on among Dawson and his friends. What you may not know is that there’s an actual Dawson Creek - it’s a town in British Columbia that recently hosted the “Battle of the North” chuckwagon competition at the Dawson Creek Exhibition.  Among those battling over five days was World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon racer Buddy Bensmiller. 

The “Dewberry Rocket” started the “Battle” in the fifth heat opposite Tyler Heming, Chad Harden and Leo Tournier.  Buddy blasted off and finished second with a time of 1:16.8, just seven tenths of a second shy of first.  His efforts earned him 30 points for the day. 

With that momentum going into the second day of the competition, Buddy and the WFG tarp faced the same drivers again in the fifth heat, with his effort bringing him to finish again in second.  But his time improved to 1:16 and he received 33 points for the day. 

On day three, our World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon racer squared off again in heat five opposite Leo, Tyler and Chad.  Buddy finished the race in third with a time of 1:17.99 and only nine points.  But his wagon was subject to interference from Leo.  In fact, Leo and his team were hit for four penalties, causing them to lose 32 points. 

After the dust of the third day settled, the “Battle” resumed on day four with Buddy facing off against the same three drivers.  And while the half mile of “heck” had Buddy and the WFG tarp finishing fourth with 1:17.66, his time ended up being third due to Tyler’s false start penalty.  Buddy also earned 38 points, his best so far of this meet. 

The final day of the “Battle” saw Buddy facing off in heat seven opposite a new field, which included Mark Sutherland, Kirk Sutherland and Jerry Bremner.  And while the new competition gave the “Dewberry Rocket” a very fast start, he had to settle for third place with a time of 1:16.45 and 24 points.  Overall, Buddy finished the Dawson Creek “Battle of the North” in 11^th place with a total time of 6:24.9 and 134 points. 

In current world standings, the World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon team driven by Buddy is currently 17^th out of 36 racers with 821.5 points.  But Buddy won’t have to wait long for a chance to improve on those standings.  The next event in the WPCA schedule takes us to Red Deer, AB next weekend for “The Championship”.  Let’s continue to cheer Buddy on that Half Mile of “Heck”!

The town of Strathmore lies about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Calgary, AB, with many of residents commuting to and from that city on a regular basis. But one weekend a year, the Strathmore Heritage Days brings citizens in to the fine town for five days of various competitions, including the 2009 World Professional Chuckwagon Association Dodge Pro Tour Championship.  And the World Financial Group blue and white chuckwagon was present those five days, being driven by our very own Buddy Bensmiller. 

Day one saw Buddy and the WFG tarp facing off against Grant Profit, Tyler Helmig and Chad Harden in the fifth heat.  While Buddy had a mistake free race, his 1:19.25 was only good enough for fourth place and 14 points in the standings. 

The following day of racing saw Buddy facing the same three competitors in heat five on a very sunny day.  Buddy’s World Financial Group-sponsored blue and white wagon had a very fast start and even got the inside rail.  Unfortunately, Buddy did not cross the finish line first, but his time of 1:18.48 earned him third place for the heat and 19 points. 

Day three of chuckwagon racing featured another race alongside Grant, Tyler and Chad.  However, the weather had turned from clear to cloudy and there was an impressive amount of mud on the track.  This mud may have been just what the “Dewberry Rocket” needed as his team took the lead at the beginning of the run and held on to come first in a photo finish.  Unfortunately, the mud also proved detrimental: Buddy’s wagon wheel knocked a barrel, which is a major penalty, causing a five second penaly to be added to  his finish time of 1:18.96, placing him fourth with 1:23.96 and earning him only three points. 

The next day of racing in Strathmore saw a return to sunny skies and a somewhat drier track.  Buddy and the WFG tarp found himself in the fifth heat again opposite the same three drivers.  And while Buddy got a very slow start, his team pulled into second place at the wire with a time of 1:17.70 and 24 points; his best day at Strathmore so far. 

On the final day of racing, Buddy found himself opposite Chad Harden, Luke Tournier and his younger brother, Leo, in the fourth heat. The race was very, very close.  However, Buddy’s time of 1:18.95 was only third best, but it did earn him 21.5 points. 

Overall in Strathmore, Buddy finished 26^th with a total time of 6:38.34 and 81.5 points.  In the world standings, Buddy is in 20^th with 687.5 points.  But the season is nowhere near over.  Next up for our World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon driver will be the “Battle of the North” at the Dawson Creek (BC) Exhibition starting on August 5.  Let’s cheer Buddy onto continued success for the rest of the 2009 WPCA season!

Bonnyville, AB is known as the “Multi-Natural” town due to its rich oil reserves, agricultural abundance and bird sanctuary.  And for the second year in a row, Bonnyville was also known for the World Professional Chuckwagon Association racing that took place at its Pro Rodeo.  All the superstars on the Half Mile of “Heck” made the trip,including World Financial Group-sponsored driver Buddy Bensmiller.  He brought the WFG blue and white tarp out against the likes of Leo Tournier, Grant Profit, Codey McCurrach and his own son, Dave, over four days. 

Day one wasn’t a fast start for the “Dewberry Rocket”.  Buddy’s wagon finished third in the seventh heat opposite Leo and Grant with a 1:23.01 time and 8.5 aggregate points.  However, Grant Profit received an Outside Help penalty, which placed Buddy in second for points. 

On the second day of racing, Buddy and the WFG tarp fared better.  He finished second opposite Grant and Leo in heat seven with a time of 1:18.66.  But due to two Wheel Knocked Barrel penalties by Grant Profit, Buddy’s 25 aggregate points led both his competitors. 

The clouds formed for day three and brought rain, but it didn’t hold off the WPCA 2009 tour.  Buddy again took on Leo and Grant in the seventh heat and had his best day in the “Multi-Natural” city.  The World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon finished third, but Buddy had his best time in Bonnyville with a 1:17.58 finish and 31.5 aggregate points. 

But day four saw a change of pace for the WFG wagon.  His heat opposite Codey MuCurrach and Dave Bensmiller was placed first.  However, the first heat of the day didn’t bring Buddy much luck.  Despite a very close race, Buddy finished third with a time of 1:23.95 and 26 points. 

For the Bonnyville Pro Rodeo, Buddy’s World Financial Group-sponsored wagon finished 14^th overall with a 5:23.20 time and 91 aggregate points.  In the current WPCA standings, Buddy’s at 17^th place with 531 points.  But there’s still plenty of WPCA season left to go.  The 2009 WPCA tour next visits Drumheller, AB with racing starting on Friday.  Videos of Buddy racing the WFG tarped wagon can be seen at www.wpca.com.  Let’s wish Buddy continued success on the Half Mile of “Heck”!

Ponoka is a town in Alberta with a population averaging 6,600.  But when the Ponoka Stampede is held during Canada Day week, the number of people in this agricultural and oil town grows almost 400 percent.  Among the people helping that percentage increase is World Financial Group-sponsored Chuckwagon driver Buddy Bensmiller.  Buddy and the rest of the WPCA field were given six days to show their stuff at one of Canada’s largest rodeos. 

On day one, Buddy faced off in the blue and white WFG tarp against Grant Profit, Rae Croteau, Jr. and Rick Fraser in the sixth heat.  His time of 1:15.34 wasn’t fast enough to win, place or show.  But Buddy did earn 22 aggregate points and had a clean race. 

Day two saw the “Dewberry Rocket” back on the half mile of “heck” against Grant, Rae and Rick in heat number six.  And while he finished in fourth place on the track, his time did improve to 1:14.27.  This was good for another 22 aggregate points with no penalties.  However, driver Grant Profit had four penalties.  As a result, his finish allowed Buddy to claim third place for this heat. 

On the third day of the Ponoka Stampede, Buddy and the WFG tarp took the track for the sixth heat against the same three racers.  While Buddy slipped again to fourth for the heat, his time of 1:15.09 was good for 16 aggregate points with no penalties. 

Day four saw rain in Ponoka for the first “muddy” day in the WPCA season.  But it was a fine day for the man racing the World Financial Group blue and white.  Although his time of 1:16.03 was the slowest of the stampede so far, it was good enough for second place and 49.5 aggregate points without penalties. 

The fifth day saw a change of pace for Buddy when he was moved to the third heat and faced new competition: Shane Cartier, Doug Irvine and Codey McCurrach.  However, the change did not prove promising for the WFG tarp.  Buddy finished fourth with a time of 1:18.20 and only 7 aggregate points, but no penalties were assessed. 

On the last day, Buddy saw the finish line first.  In the second heat, Buddy faced off against Cody Ridsdale, Lincoln Douglas and Buddy’s son Chance.  Buddy had a 1:14.99 first place finish and no penalties, which was good for 22 aggregate points.  At the end of the Ponoka Stampede, Buddy finished 15^th out of 36 teams with a total time of 7:33.92 and 138.5 points. 

The WPCA Dodge Pro Tour will be on hiatus during the Calgary Stampede, which starts July 3.  But you can check out video of Buddy racing the World Financial Group chuckwagon at wpca.com.  Our hats are off to Buddy for this fine season of chuckwagon racing.