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Mayerthorpe driver still competitive after 42 years
Barry Kerton Mayerthorpe Freelancer
Louis Johner has racing in his blood and dirt in his teeth. Johner has been a professional chuckwagon and chariot driver for more than 40 years.
Now in his 42nd year on the chuckwagan circuit, the 75-year-old Mayerthorpe native just finished one of his most successful seasons.
"This year I finished the season as Hi Point Champion for chuckwagons," Johner said. For every race, drivers are awarded points based on where they finish. The better you place the more points you get. At the end of the season all the driver's points are totaled up and the driver with the most points is awarded the Highway 43 Club Hi-Point Championship.
This is not the first time Johner has taken the championship as the circuit's best driver. Johner has won the championship 17 times, including a span where he won the title five years in a row.
He has also won a number of other accolades over his years as a driver, including being crowned the North American Championship in 1980 and 1990 and winning the Northern World Finals in 2005.
Despite all his success, Johner feels his season in 1980 was his most successful one. "That year, I won every event [as a chuckwagon driver] except for three shows," Johner said. And in those three shows that he did not win he still managed to place in the top five.
When Johner first started racing in 1971, he did it as more of a hobby, subsidizing his work as a cattle rancher, but in 1978 he sold all his cattle to devote more time to racing.
"Basically my farm is just a hobby farm to help subsidize our racing teams," Johner said. "We grow the feed for the horses, some hay and oats."
Johner keeps 16 to 20 horses on the farm he maintains for racing.
Johner said as the years go on it is becoming more difficult to stay competitive.
"Everybody wants to win and all the teams are so quick," Johner said. Besides driving skills a person really needs to be part veterinarian and part strategist, Johner said.
"You really have to do your homework," Johner said. "You have to really look after and know your horses. You have to know their strengths and weaknesses so you know where to place them on the team to get the best results."
Not only is chuckwagon and chariot racing in Louis Johner's blood it seems it might be hereditary as well.
Johner's son Barry and his daughter Lorraine have also tried their hand at chuckwagon and chariot racing. His grandchildren have also all taken part in the sport as well. Not only have his grandchildren all competed in the sport but they have been successful as well.
All of his grandchildren (Wanda Hansen, Rhonda Fuller and Adam Hansen) won the rookie chariot title.
"Adam races my chariot for me," Johner said. "Last season he finished in second place racing my chariot for me."
Hansen is also an accomplished chuckwagon racer. He races a wagon of his own and sometimes drives his grandfather's rig as well.
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