Ten minutes of pure prairie chaos that'll make your heart gallop.
Focusing on the sport of chuckwagon racing at the Calgary Stampede, captured through a mix of aerial, POV, and ringside footage, the film is ahead of its time in the way it captures adrenaline-pumping action. This short documentary offers a ringside view of the chuckwagon race, star attraction of the world-famous Calgary Stampede. Once ponderous Percheron and Clydesdale draught thundered around the course. Now they are racers, and it takes a firm hand to guide such horsepower.
Cinematography
POV shots from galloping wagons—absolutely unhinged for 1964.
Practical Effects
Real horses, real danger, zero CGI safety nets.
Direction
Barclay basically invented the sports highlight reel.
Director
Robert Barclay
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Robert Barclay was a National Film Board of Canada veteran who specialized in capturing dangerous Canadiana.
Chuckwagon racing was invented in 1923 specifically to entertain rodeo crowds between events—pure invented spectacle.
CA
US
