Amber L’Heureux waves to a crowd that was eager to watch her make history in North Battleford. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Tyler Marr

Off The Track

Amber L’Heureux reflects on first CPCA season

Aug 19, 2019 | 5:02 PM

The sun has set on another year of professional chuckwagon racing in Western Canada.

But for Amber L’Heureux, the dust never settles and the first day of the offseason means it is time to start building for next year.

“We are currently doing some shopping as the wheel never stops turning in that department,” she said.

L’Heureux made history in just over one minute and seven seconds in June when she became the first female driver to navigate the barrels in the six-decade history of the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA).

She finished her rookie season on the circuit 22nd overall, with 553 points, shy of her goal to break into the top 15.

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“We took some outrider penalties early on and I didn’t have the barn depth I hoped I did,” she said. “We are defiantly aiming for top 15 next year.”

L’Heureux said the year was filled with ups and downs and the team needed to be more aggressive earlier on. She admits she played it safe a little too long but chalked it up to the learning curve of a rookie season.

To ensure her name ends the 2020 season higher on the driver standings, L’Heureux points to one thing she will look for as she scans the market this winter — horsepower.

“There is a lot of phenomenal horses out there we are running against. When I invested last year into this, I bought horses that were going to help me stay clean and consistent and help me build myself,” she said. “We have done that and now I need to add in a little more speed.”

Amber L’Heureux made history in North Battleford as the first female CPCA driver in the six-decade history of the sport. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff)

L’Heureux’s season launched to considerable fanfare in North Battleford as friends and family packed the grandstand to cheer on the Glaslyn native.

As she toured from Wainwright to Dewberry and Turtleford to Lloydminster, the support from the fans, she said, was overwhelming.

“When you are doing something like this you put your head down and kind of go to the grind and then it is nice to have the fans come back to camp and meet you and have the parents bring their kids back and hear their stories and what you have done for them,” she said.

“You are so entwined in it you don’t realize the impact you are having on people. That puts things into perspective and keeps you grounded.”

Having the chance to race an entire season against men she has looked up to for years was simply phenomenal for L’Heureux, given her age and the fact she is a woman.

Off the track, she pointed to her attendance at the Calgary Stampede and having an opportunity to act as an ambassador as something she soon will not forget. She rode in the grand entry for the redo one day as they were highlighting women involved in Western heritage.

Beyond the fast past world of racing, L’Heureux said she loves how she gets to wake up every morning, head into her barn and see her horses.

“Being able to do something you love every day is pretty special,” she said.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr