Draggins showcases Saskatoon’s women-run car club

Donna Mulligan stands alongside her 1959 Chev Apache. (Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)

Over 250 cars were on display at the 64th annual Draggins Rod & Custom Car Club car show over the weekend. A handful of those vehicles belonged to a group of women who are working to showcase their skills.

“We all have a passion for older vehicles, motorcycles, cars, bikes and trucks. We all wanted a place to kind of gather and to share our passion,” Maria Perehudoff, a member of Prairie Girlz Hot Rods & Classics, said.

Perehudoff said the logistics of the industry can be overwhelming for those who are in the process of learning more. This prompted the inception of Prairie Girlz Hot Rods & Classics.

Groups like this one are a place for people to trade knowledge and connections when it comes to the many details that come along with fixing up a vehicle.

“There’s a lot of talent in this circle you want to know about. You want to know about insurance, you want to know how to get your interior done properly and who’s available to do it. There’s so much knowledge among the people who come to these shows,” Perehudoff said.

The Draggins Rod & Custom Car Club car show is a longstanding tradition for car lovers from across Canada. After 64 years, the show is still growing larger each year.

“Attendance this morning has been great. It was lined out the door, so we are so excited. It’s nice to see when you come in the morning at 9 and it’s packed out to the parking lot. So we’re so excited. Everybody’s put on a good show,” Shane Arthurs, past president of Draggins, said.

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This year marked the first time Deborah Arsenault has brought her cherry red 1974 Ford Grand Torino Sport to the show. While she has owned the car for more than two decades, she decided this was the year to bring the vehicle to show off alongside the Prairie Girlz.

“I’ve owned her for 24 years. And so lots and lots of fun memories in my car. And she’s big and bright red, and I love driving her,” Arsenault said.

Arsenault added it’s been nice to see the number of young girls in attendance at the show, many of whom took a special interest in the Prairie Girlz.

“Just hoping that the next generation of our girls, our young girls coming out, can find the same passion,” Arsenault said.

Donna Milligan has returned for the second year in a row with her stunning 1959 Chev Apache Fleetside. The truck was shipped in pieces from Texas, and took a lot of time and patience to restore.

“I love it. It’s a rush when you get into driving and I won’t be giving it away or selling it because my daughter’s going to take it. So it’s a special family truck,” Milligan said.

The Prairie Girlz member added that the show is a fun opportunity to trade stories with one another about the numerous vehicles on display.

“I like when people see it and you’re excited about it, and they also have memories of maybe someone in their family had a car similar. It’s fun and special to show it off,” Milligan said.

Kristy Park said she joined the group after marrying a heavy-duty mechanic with an interest in the hobby. Park said as her husband and daughter have both found an interest in cars, she’s hoping to learn more.

“It’s become like a family oriented passion, I suppose you could say. I see a lot of young ladies driving by and really cool vehicles. I think it’s a wonderful place for families, for community to grow, for people to learn from each other,” Park said.

Park added that Prairie Girlz has been a positive space to learn more about the process of restoring vehicles, and it’s something she hopes to continue.

“I just think it’s an awesome place to gather and to share and to grow. I’m going to learn more about vehicles as I sit and visit with people and learn. But it’s a pretty wonderful, expensive hobby,” Park said.

Perehudoff said the Saskatoon-based group is always welcoming new members.

“It is such a male [dominated] world, really. But when you look at these males, majority of them have wives and they’ve put in the time just as much as the men have. There’s usually a woman behind every vehicle. And they share just the same amount of passion, but there’s nowhere for them to go,” Perehudoff said.

Perehudoff’s 2010 Heritage motorcycle was quite the hit among the Draggins crowd. She said being able to attend shows like this one, especially with friends, is a new tradition she hopes to continue for years to come as the group grows.

“This is my first time at this show and I am just overwhelmed. It’s so nice to be a part of it behind the scenes and just see everything come together,” Perehudoff said.