Jason Glass, competing with a heavy heart at the Calgary Stampede, says he can feel the presence of his legendary father Tom Glass watching over him. Tom, a four-time Rangeland Derby Champion chuckwagon driver, died at age 77 after suffering a stroke on June 26.
Emotional Tribute on the Track
“He’s up there with his mom, grandma Iris, and his best friend, Richard Cosgrave,” Jason said after finishing third on Saturday night out of 27 competitors at the Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta. “They’re up there watching over us. I know the presence is there, for sure.”
After knocking over a barrel on opening night and finishing well down in the standings, Jason guided his Birchcliff Energy outfit around the Stampede Park track the next night in a quick time of 1:12.28 to win $4,800 for his third-place showing.
“I had trouble (Friday) night, the first night, and that’s almost just a warning from dad about things we talk about of what horses to drive,” said the veteran 55-year-old reinsman from High River, Alta. “I didn’t think it would happen the first night, but it did and we’re going to correct it and carry on and be stronger for it. And yeah, he’s definitely with us still.”
Resilience and Legacy
On his way to winning the Calgary Stampede championship in 2024, Jason also hit a barrel during the 10-day show before rebounding to capture his second Rangeland Derby title. “The last two years actually, I’ve hit a barrel and came back and got into the top three,” said Jason, who won his first Calgary Stampede chuckwagon championship in 2013. “I always try to stay positive and never stop trying, so we’ll just do what we can do and keep running.”
Jason praised his wife Brienne, kids Bodie and Steele, and his barn crew for giving him the support he needs to keep racing. “All my relatives have been amazing and the whole chuckwagon community and thousands of people,” he said. “Just everybody’s been so supportive and I think my dad was very respectful to everybody.”
Community Mourns a Legend
Not having his dad with him made Jason realize the impact Tom, a three-time World Professional Chuckwagon Association season-long champion, had on people. “You really deep down don’t think about the effect that he had on so many people,” he said. “He loved horses and loved the wagon world and always had a lot of friends.”
Fellow drivers have placed checkerboard patches on their chuckwagon boxes in memory of Tom. “That whole family is a founder of the sport,” said driver Rae Croteau Jr., who recorded Saturday’s top time of 11:11.58 atop his Bar L5 Ranch rig. “Tommy was always a guy who would come talk to you and get some inside scoop on what you were doing for this show and his commentating (for Sportsnet and the Cowboy Channel). The checkerboards will live forever. He’s in all our hearts and the Glass family’s in all our hearts. It’s definitely sad to see guys go, but guys like him leave a legacy.”
Jason didn’t know about the checkerboard initiative until he spotted the patches on chuckwagons rolling past his barn. “It’s very neat,” he said. “Dayton Sutherland, I believe, came up with the idea and I didn’t know much about it and then the first night seeing all the wagons go by with the checkerboards on, it’s pretty cool.”
