On June 26, 2026, Western Canada lost one of its most recognizable sporting figures when Tom Glass, the man often called “the face of chuckwagon racing,” passed away at the age of 77 following a stroke.
For decades, his square-jawed image and trademark mustache were synonymous with the Calgary Stampede, where he became the most successful driver in the history of the Rangeland Derby. His likeness was even chosen for the official 1998 Calgary Stampede poster, a tribute reserved for the sport’s most defining personalities.
Tom Glass was far more than a champion behind the reins. He was the third generation of a chuckwagon dynasty that began with his grandfather and continued through his father before passing to his own son, making the Glass name one of the most storied in the sport’s hundred-year history at the Stampede. Beyond the racetrack, he carved out a parallel career as a Hollywood stunt performer, working on major studio productions for more than three decades.
His story matters not just to fans of chuckwagon racing but to anyone interested in how a uniquely Canadian sport built around horsemanship, family tradition, and frontier grit can produce a figure whose influence stretched from small-town rodeo grounds in Alberta to film sets in Hollywood.
Glass’s death prompted tributes from across the chuckwagon racing world, with the World Professional Chuckwagon Association, the Calgary Stampede, and generations of drivers he mentored all marking the loss of a true pioneer of the sport.
Profile
| Full Name | Thomas “Tom” Glass |
| Born | 1948 |
| Died | June 26, 2026 (aged 77) |
| Birthplace | Alberta, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Chuckwagon racing driver, horse trainer, film stunt performer, broadcaster |
| Parents | Son of Ron Glass (Calgary Stampede champion); grandson of Tom Lauder (1923 Calgary Stampede champion) |
| Children | Jason Glass (four-time World Champion Chuckwagon Driver) |
Early Life
Tom Glass was born in 1948 into one of the most storied families in Canadian rodeo history. His grandfather on his mother Iris’s side, Tom Lauder, won the Calgary Stampede chuckwagon title back in 1923, just three years after the event’s inception.
His father, Ron Glass, carried the family tradition forward and was himself inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. Growing up surrounded by horses, wagons, and the rhythms of the rodeo circuit, young Tom absorbed the trade almost by osmosis.
He often spoke of following his father around the racetrack as a boy, soaking up lessons in horsemanship long before he ever held the reins competitively.
According to family recollections, his father initially discouraged him from pursuing the sport professionally, reportedly telling him there was “no money in it” and urging him to find steadier work. Tom listened to the advice only partially, building a career that combined chuckwagon racing with other trades, including horse training and selling, much like his father before him.
This early grounding in ranch life and horsemanship would define nearly every chapter of his adult life, from the racetrack to the film sets where his equestrian skills made him a sought-after stunt performer.
Career
Glass’s competitive career began not in the driver’s seat but on horseback, as an outrider, the riders who flank a chuckwagon team during a race. He won his first Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby title as an outrider in 1965, then repeated the feat in 1971. In 1977, his skill in this demanding role earned him the Rod Glass Memorial Award as the Stampede’s top outrider.
He transitioned to driving in 1972, claiming his first major victory at the Ponoka Stampede that same year. From there, his career accelerated.
Over more than three decades on the circuit, Glass amassed over forty major awards and victories, a remarkable tally that placed him among the sport’s most decorated competitors. He drove his teams to four Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Championships, in 1983, 1987, 1992, and 1994, and topped the Stampede Aggregate standings in both 1987 and 1998. He also captured the World Champion Chuckwagon Driver title three times, in 1980, 1981, and 1988, along with the North American Chuckwagon Championship in 1980.
Glass was a founding member of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association, helping shape the governing body of the modern sport. His 1992 Calgary Stampede win carried particular sentimental weight, as his son Jason rode as one of his outriders that year, a passing of the torch that foreshadowed Jason’s own emergence as a four-time World Champion driver in his own right. Beyond the marquee events, Glass also claimed victories at the Cheyenne Frontier Days on two occasions and won at virtually every major chuckwagon event held across Alberta during his peak years.
Parallel to his racing career, Glass built a substantial reputation in the film industry as a stunt performer, drawing directly on his expertise with horses and vehicles. He worked on more than 300 film and television productions over his career, including the 1993 Best Picture winner Unforgiven.
His stunt work on the 2000 action-comedy Shanghai Noon earned him a nomination for Best Fight at the Taurus World Stunt Awards in 2001. He also contributed stunt work to productions including Paycheck, The 6th Day, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and the 2003 western Monte Walsh, and continued picking up film and television stunt credits well into the 2020s, including uncredited truck stunt work on titles such as The Hurricane Heist, Paradise Highway, and the television series Blue Bloods.
Glass retired from competitive chuckwagon racing in 1998, choosing to step away near the peak of his fame. He did not leave the sport behind entirely, however.
He went on to become a respected colour commentator for CBC’s television coverage of the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby, bringing his decades of insider knowledge to a broadcast booth audience.
He also remained deeply involved in mentoring the next generation of drivers and outriders, including his own son, frequently visiting the barn during racing season to help with training and horsemanship.
Honours & Recognitions
- Inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame (2013)
- Rod Glass Memorial Award, top outrider at the Calgary Stampede (1977)
- Nominee, Best Fight, Taurus World Stunt Awards, for Shanghai Noon (2001)
- Named a parade marshal for the Ponoka Stampede Parade as part of “100 Years of Chuckwagon Racing in Alberta” celebrations
Personal Life
Family was at the center of Tom Glass’s life, both on and off the racetrack. He was the patriarch of the Glass-Lauder-Cosgrave family dynasty, a lineage that has shaped chuckwagon racing at the Calgary Stampede since the sport’s early days in the 1920s. His son, Jason Glass, became one of the most successful chuckwagon drivers in history, a four-time World Champion who carried the family name to new heights and whom Tom often spoke about with evident pride.
Friends and fellow competitors frequently described Glass as a generous mentor who took genuine pleasure in the success of others. Retired driver Mark Sutherland, reflecting on Glass’s passing, recalled him as a hero in his youth and a mentor throughout his adult life, someone who would take the time to acknowledge a good run or a promising horse. That same spirit of mentorship was echoed by the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby organization, which credited him with shaping the careers of countless other drivers and outriders.
Glass was also known for his outspoken defense of chuckwagon racing against animal welfare criticism, a recurring controversy surrounding the sport. In a candid 2015 interview, he pushed back on public figures who had criticized the sport, while also acknowledging the safety reforms the sport had adopted over the years, including changes to the design of the stove and equipment carried on the wagons to reduce the risk of injury to horses.
He died on June 26, 2026, after suffering a stroke, leaving behind a family legacy that continues through his son Jason and a broader sporting community that widely regarded him as one of the greatest to ever hold the reins.
Notable Projects & Contributions
- Four-time Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Champion (1983, 1987, 1992, 1994)
- Three-time World Champion Chuckwagon Driver (1980, 1981, 1988)
- North American Chuckwagon Championship winner (1980)
- Two-time Calgary Stampede Aggregate Winner (1987, 1998)
- Founding member, World Professional Chuckwagon Association
- Featured on the official 1998 Calgary Stampede poster
- Stunt work in more than 300 film and television productions, including Unforgiven and Shanghai Noon
- Long-running colour commentator, CBC coverage of the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby
Conclusion
Tom Glass’s legacy is woven into the very fabric of chuckwagon racing. As the third generation of a family dynasty that spans more than a century of Calgary Stampede history, he didn’t just inherit a tradition, he expanded it, becoming arguably the greatest driver the sport has produced while also building a parallel career in Hollywood stunt work that few athletes from any sport can claim. His commitment to mentoring younger drivers, including his own champion son Jason, ensured that his influence will outlast his own remarkable career statistics.
In the wake of his passing, tributes from the Calgary Stampede, the World Professional Chuckwagon Association, and fellow competitors have all pointed to the same truth: Tom Glass was, in every sense, the embodiment of the sport he helped define. As the Glass family name continues into a new generation, his story stands as a lasting testament to horsemanship, family tradition, and quiet generosity within a demanding and often misunderstood sport.