Lightning takes the reins

Friends of SAIT Chuckwagon tear up the race track

Watch Lightning Luke Tournier take the reins at his ranch in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan.

SAIT is pleased to have “Lightning” Luke Tournier in the driver’s seat of the Friends of SAIT Chuckwagon at the 2009 GMC Rangeland Derby at the Calgary Stampede.

The Friends made the $60,000 winning bid for Luke’s rig in the Stampede tarp auction on Thursday, March 19.

Luke is a multi-award winning driver. He is a two-time GMC Rangeland Derby champion and a two-time Calgary Stampede Aggregate champion. He won the Calgary Stampede’s Mullen Group Safe Drive Award for the Least Penalized Driver in 2007.

Last year Lightning Luke won the North American Chuckwagon Championship in High River as well as the Badlands Dinosaur Derby in Drumheller and the Strathmore Heritage Days Stampede. He also had a horse named to the WPCA’s Equine Outfit of Excellence for the fourth consecutive year. Luke’s left lead horse named “Port” became the first two-time winner of the award.

Luke’s passion for “the Chucks” is shared by his family. He is the older brother to fellow competitor Léo Tournier, father of outrider Quaid Tournier and father-in-law to outrider Logan Gorst. The Tourniers were awarded the CPCA’s Chuckwagon Family of the Year in 2001.

Luke and his wife Michele have three children - Shalyn, Lane and Quaid - and one grandchild. The Tournier’s make their home in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan.

Visit Friends of SAIT Chuckwagon on Facebook to see pictures of last year’s chuckwagon events and videos of Luke on his Saskatchewan farm. We will also be posting Luke’s daily standings and results from the Stampede Rangeland Derby so join us and stay informed!