Glen Mikkelsen’s definitive book on the first 100 years of the Calgary Stampede’s Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races made the short list for this year’s Eric Hoffer Award grand prize.
The 58-year-old CN Centre manager spent years researching the history of the chucks, which have been an integral part of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth since 1923.
Mikkelsen’s Hoffer award in the reference category is the first in the history of Folklore Publishing of Edmonton.
Illustrated with photographs from the Calgary Stampede archives and based on interviews with chuckwagon drivers and their families and articles from the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun archives, The Rangeland Derby – 100 Years of Chuckwagon Racing at the Calgary Stampede is a highly entertaining read that has sold thousands of copies.
“I had the opportunity to talk to quite a few people involved with this sport and the event, so I had some fantastic conversations with people who know the sport intimately,” said Mikkelsen, who has written several books about chuckwagon racing.
“The technology now to go through old newspapers is something that I did not have the ability to do on earlier projects, so that really enhanced the comprehensiveness.”
Based in the United States, the Hoffer awards annually highlight books produced by small, academic and independent publishers.
Mikkelsen, a Calgary native, said he especially enjoyed researching the 1950s era, finding out about Hollywood’s connection to the Stampede and its famous rodeo and chuckwagons.
“In the 1950s the sport and the Stampede as an event g ot so much attention both nationally and internationally, so it was Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, their TV shows were super-popular across the world, not just North America, and the Calgary Stampede and chuckwagon races was part of that celebration of the west and popular culture,” said Mikkelsen.“The grandstand was just packed and people from around the world wanted to be part of it and it was an interesting time to look at.”
Mikkelsen showcased his book last year as a live historian at a daily exhibit at the 10-day Stampede, which gave him the opportunity to speak to visitors about a sport that is truly unique to Western Canada.
This year as part of the Stampede chuckwagon committee he was featured interviewing drivers, Indigenous relay racers, First Nations princesses, veterinarians, announcers, university researchers for short video clips posted to social media channels.
