ACwRA About

A chuckwagon team is made up of three members - the driver, cook, and the outrider. At the beginning of a race the driver is the only one in the wagon. The cook and outrider are both standing behind the wagon, the cook holding a "bedroll" and the outrider holding a "stove." Before the starting gun goes off you hear the official starter saying "cooks load your wagon!" and the cooks are to throw their bedroll in the wagon and hurry to sit beside the driver. During the race a cook helps to keep an eye on the track and warn the driver of any dangers. After the gun sounds, the outrider will throw their stove in the wagon and mount their horse (though this isn't always an easy task!) The wagon takes off at the gun and both teams are to round a barrel before starting down the track. The outrider must also round their respective barrel and pass their team before it crosses the finish line. If the outrider fails to "catch" his/her team, the team is given a "no time." To see some shots from the races please visit our Photo Gallery.