Damian MacLellan, of Inverness, received a national harness racing award at a ceremony in London, Ontario, on Saturday. He won a Standardbred Canada O’Brien Award as a Future Star.
-by Bill Dunphy
The National Hockey League has the Calder Memorial Trophy. Standardbred Canada has the Future Star O’Brien Award.
Both awards recognize a rookie’s achievements at the highest level of their sport.
That’s where Damian MacLellan finds himself as a harness racing driver in Ontario.
The 23-year-old from Inverness received his O’Brien Award at a black tie gala celebration in London, Ontario, on Saturday.
The event marked the 37th edition of the O’Brien Awards, named in honour of the late Joe O’Brien, an outstanding horseman from Prince Edward Island and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
MacLellan’s career has been nothing short of stellar since getting his first win – in his first start – in May of 2022 at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
From there he was off to Rockwood, Ontario, where, under the mentorship of the father-son team of Rob and Kyle Fellows, he began plying his trade in earnest.
With just over 100 starts in 2022 and 2023, MacLellan was up to 327 starts in 2024, boasting a modest record of 48 wins, 57 seconds and 38 thirds for earnings of $171,421.
And then came 2025.
Racing at tracks, big and small, all across Ontario – Grand River, Kawartha, Western Fair, Dresden, Flamboro and Woodbine – MacLellan ended up with 629 starts, including 83 wins, 66 seconds, and 65 thirds for earnings of $603,312.
“From an early age, I wanted to do this,” MacLellan said on Monday before going to Western Fair in London.
“People said I should get a trade, get a degree, so I took business administration at Holland College while I was in P.E.I. I lasted a month-and-a-half and I was gone,” he said.
“Rob and Kyle Fellows have been just tremendous to me. I can’t express how grateful I am. It’s people like them in our industry that will keep it alive. And I really hope I can do that for someone, to give that back to a younger generation.”
The son of John (Piper) and Priscilla, MacLellan said his father was his biggest influence, as well as many of the horsemen at Inverness Raceway, including Donnie MacDonald, Johnny Gillis, Andrew MacLean, Allan Gillis, Richie Hunt, Shelby Miller and Erland Campbell.
“My dad would have been so proud. If he had been here he would have been the first one on the stage,” he said. Piper passed away in 2015.
“So many people influenced me in my career, to get me where I’m at now. The sky is the limit, I’m young and there’s nothing holding me back.”
He said the discipline to put the work in has to come from inside yourself.
“With me, and anybody, you have to be invested in this sport. You have to want to do it. I was born into it, and if you do something in your life that’s meant to be, then you can be successful at it.
“You want to do better than the night before, or the year before. And don’t make those goals small, make them difficult, make them so you become better at what you do.”
MacLellan, who will likely top the 629 starts this year, said the job is seven days a week.
“It’s a grind and a lifestyle. There are some guys with double my starts. It’s all about wanting to be better. I will get home at night and watch replays and read race programs.”
He said winning 83 races last year doesn’t happen without help.
“A guy like me, you’re not going to get to drive the best horses starting out. You have to prove yourself. I had a lot of support from different trainers and owners. And I did prove myself. Finishing in the top five drivers at Grand River was huge for me.”
But most of all, he is grateful for the support he received from his family and friends.
His brother Donald and wife Tina also live in Ontario and were on hand at the O’Brien Awards. His sisters, Shawna MacLean and Christa Shaw, both made the trip from Inverness, as did his niece Lilly and best friends Cole Mullins and Madison Poirier.
“It was great having them all here. They have all been big supporters of me and my career,” he said.