Duane Daines was a world class Saddle Bronc Rider in the late 80s.
He was the first Canadian to win the Calgary Stampede 50,000-dollar prize for Bronc Riding and in 1991 he won the Canadian Saddle Bronc Championships.
He also won several pickup trucks thanks to his skills on the rodeo circuit—this 1989 Dodge was one of them.
Jerry Sutherland
Duane’s career ended in Amstrong, BC Canada when his horse bucked in a rodeo chute and left him with a spinal cord injury that robbed him of his lower mobility. That could have been the end of the story for Duane, but he went on to become a big piece of the family auction business and rodeo grounds.
He put thousands of miles on the Dodge every year because the rodeo circuit is always 700 miles away from the next event, so every day is based on a giant road trip. Life on the road is a huge part of the lifestyle and the Dodge held up for every mile until it was semi-retired on the family farm.
Duane said it sat for years except for the time his daughter drove it in high school. After that, it sat for a long time until Duane said he “got tired of seeing it sitting in the yard with flat tires” so he decided to do something with it. He would either save the Dodge or aim it at a crusher.
In the end, the project came down to a coin toss because that’s how Duane saw its future. Fortunately, the truck’s future was won on a gamble and the process to save it started to unfold. That was a close call for the Dodge, but luck was on its side.
Duane is a well-known figure in the community, and he knew who to trust to save the truck. He gave them a simple game plan—there was no hurry to get it done—just do a good job. He wasn’t sure about putting the sponsorship decals back on the Dodge, but his family pushed him to do it as part of the truck—and Duane’s legacy.
The original 318 in the Dodge is still there and it’s still running like a champ even though, as Duane explained, “It’s seen all of North America”.
The bulk of the project was cosmetic on Duane’s Dodge because the mechanical side of the pickup was in decent condition. Duane wants to lower the Dodge about two inches because it’s a struggle to get into it without some awkward moments.
The car culture is new to Duane. He knows the rodeo culture like the back of his hand, but the car hobby is an uncharted world. Duane likes the attention his truck gets and appreciates the commitment of the car hobby to the past and the future. The truck will be part of his daily routine now—just like it was back in ’89.
The truck also has an aviation theme because Duane is also a pilot and he flew a plane on the rodeo circuit to get to the events faster. The front plate is a Spitfire to showcase the connection between flying and history.
Duane won several trucks over the years, but this ’89 Dodge was the lucky winner for restoration. That came down to a few reasons, but Duane learned what the hobby is about overnight.
It’s about bringing back memories—not about logic.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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