Stampede's Canvas Auction Shatters Records

0:00The Calgary Stampede just made history with their Canvas auction for the Rangeland Derby drivers. Bitter shaled out a whopping $6,000,000,000 to slap their brands on the chuck wagons, blowing past the old record of $4,000,000,000 from back in 2012. That's cash straight to the 27 drivers gearing up for the big races. One driver, Ray Crotto Jr., snagged the highest single bid ever at $550,000 from bar L5 ranch down in Alderside, that nearly doubles the previous top of $300,000, putting massive spotlight on his team for the whole event. Drivers like Crotto are buzzing, calling it a total shock that fuels everything from buying horses and fee to keeping family life rolling through. The offseason. Bitter's and Stampede chair Stuart O'Connor felt the electric vibe in the room, with eight fresh faces jumping in to push those numbers sky high. This hall signals strong local economy vibes, especially with oil prices spiking amid global shakes.

1:03CEO Joel Caly noted last year's 3.8 million felt solid, but smashing 6 million is straight fire, reflecting real support for, chuck wagon racing. As the Stampede kicks off July 3rd through 12th, expect that energy to carry into non-stop action on the track and beyond. Calgary News Today, powered by AI Bringing You What Matters, I'm Corey with The Story.