Prince Edward Island harness racing star Marc Campbell may not have won the O’Brien Award for Horsemanship, but coming in second at the age of just 27 to Hall of Fame horseman Keith Clark was a special experience

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Reflecting on the night of the O’Brien Award ceremony held two weeks ago in Mississauga, Ont., Campbell recalls his emotions leading up to the moment the winner was announced early that evening.

“If I didn’t have a heart attack, then I was never going to have a heart attack,” Campbell remembers telling himself after the meal as his heart began to race in anticipation.

Campbell admits he was disappointed when Alberta horseman Keith Clark’s name was called instead of his own. Clark earned his second horsemanship trophy receiving 32 votes to Campbell’s 15.

“Everybody I talked to said you know you got this, you’re going to win. But there was just something in the back of my head telling me I wasn’t,” he admitted.

However, the young horseman didn’t let not winning the award ruin his night.

“It was unbelievable, I got to meet some amazing people,” he said.

Although Campbell regrets that he didn’t get a chance to speak with Glenn Van Camp, the owner and breeder of San Pail, who received the O’Brien Award for top aged trotter and horse of the year, or his trainer Rod Hughes, he was happy to share a brief elevator ride with them and was struck by their presence.

“[They’re] just really down to earth people," he said. "They were the ones I noticed the most. They have a world class trotter and they seemed like down to earth people.”

Fresh off his best season yet, Campbell has set the bar high for 2012 and hopes to eclipse his leading numbers. Last year, he won 174 races on the Maritime circuit, including 122 at Charlottetown Driving Park breaking the single-season track record for wins of 118. Campbell went on to clinch the driving title at both Charlottetown and Summerside Raceway.

The resident of Winsloe, P.E.I. had such an incredible year that he struggles to pick out his favourite moment.

“Winning the Maritime Breeders final with Malabrigo, that was special,” said Campbell. He also touched on his Atlantic Breeders Crown victory with Astronomical Union and breaking the Charlottetown record.

“The only goal I had was winning the Maritime dash title and I did that,” he noted.

Although he led the Maritimes in 2011, there is still always room for improvement.

“I want to get into better shape and I want to win more races,” said Campbell of his goals for this year, adding that he would like to reach a special career milestone as well. “If everything goes right, I would like to hit 1,000 by the end of the year.”

This won’t be easy for Campbell, said fellow reinsman Brodie MacPhee.

“I just wish I could drive half as good as Campbell, but he’ll have the target on his back now. One thing he can’t compare to is the way I look out there, he doesn’t look half as good,” joked MacPhee, who is coming off a career-best year of his own having reached the winner’s circle 73 times.

“If he stays healthy, he is the face of Maritime harness racing for years to come,” said Shannon ‘Sugar’ Doyle, former Islander and co-host of the O’Briens, who met Campbell for the first time at the awards gala.

(A Trot Insider exclusive by Bo Ford)