As Standardbred Canada continues its nationwide spotlight on harness racing's unsung heroes, in celebration of 2025 National Caretaker Appreciation Day, we turn our attention to Gerald Kelly, a truly devoted groom hailing from Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Kelly shares his compelling story, offering a profound insight into his career in racing and the immeasurable impact the industry has had on his life. His narrative underscores the dedication, hard work and passion that define our caretakers -- the backbone of harness racing.
If you didn’t know him by face you may not know him at all. He belongs to a small but honourable faction of society, the sobriquets -- those who are more popularly known by their nicknames than their given ones. Cookie, Banger, Jumbo, Bubba are a few that come to mind immediately. Today, if you haven’t already, add one more to your list. Meet Teabag.
A homebred from Charlottetown, "Teabag" was exposed to racing like most, through family.
“Dad always kept a horse or two," he explained. "We had a barn and little paddock at home. We used to harness the horses up and jog them down the road to Joe Smallwood’s place to use his track. And we were only 10 minutes from the track in Charlottetown; it wasn’t much to haul [the horses] into town.”
The Smallwoods were close family friends -- Joe’s father was actually Teabag’s godfather. Teabag helped his father and Joe race their horses until he was ready for more. And in 1988, Teabag started with the Dr. Ian Moore Stable, a tenure that would last 22 years as the ride of a lifetime.
Teabag did 22 years as a guard dog in the Dr. Ian Moore barn, and he wore many hats while doing so, including that of groom, veterinary assistant, travel companion and voice of discipline for Dr. Ian Moore’s son, Tyler, who remembers fearing Teabag for he used to discipline Tyler when he was out of line. Tyler remembers Teabag as “a brute of a man with a big heart.”
"He knew what he was doing with the horses and he taught me a lot about discipline,” recalled Tyler.
Dr. Moore echoes Tyler’s memories. As a groom, Moore described Teabag as “a little rough around the edges at times but extremely reliable, responsible and knowledgeable.” He always had peace of mind knowing Teabag had everything handled.
Teabag proved his worth so well as a groom that Moore elevated Teabag by training him to be a veterinary assistant as well.
“He was excellent, all the clients appreciated him,” said Moore.
From 1988-2010, Teabag accompanied Moore as groom and vet assistant from track to track among the Atlantic provinces, regularly turning racing trips into lifelong memories.
“We had a lot of fun out there,” recounted Moore with a laugh.
Teabag, as you would expect, had numerous opportunities to take care of very talented horses during his tenure with Moore, most noteworthy were the likes of The Papermaker, Astronomical, Wellthereyougo and Shadow Play.
In 2010, Teabag accompanied Moore for the stable’s inaugural trip to Florida for the winter and its first summer in Ontario; however, that was ironically the last straw for Teabag as an employee of the Moore Stable.
"I love the cold," said Teabag.
So, he decided not to return to Florida for a second winter. Rather, he returned home to Charlottetown for the wonderful winter weather there.
Are you wondering who in their right mind could prefer winter over summer? Someone who loves tea, of course. One never knows what kind of story they are headed for when they ask for the one behind the nickname "Teabag." Though, yes, the nickname simply comes from the fact that Teabag enjoyed drinking tea from a very young age. Phew.
So, Teabag returned home in 2011 where he has continued to take care of horses, most famously helping trainer Gilles Barrieau. However, Teabag’s journey as a groom took a slight turn in 2023 when he suffered a heart attack. He is recovering well, and though he may not be the “brute” man he once was, he still continues to handle horses, reducing his professional involvement in racing to weekends and race nights only, solely for Barrieau. Teabag now spends the majority of his professional time working for the Department of Transportation maintaining the critical infrastructure that keeps P.E.I. moving.
When asked what advice Teabag would give to younger horsepeople, he replied briskly and confidently: “You gotta love the horses.”
Behind the nickname, Teabag, is a fun-loving, down-homer named Gerald Kelly. If you’re meeting him for the first time -- or if you know the man but you’re just learning his (given) name for the first time -- and you see him around, don’t be shy to stop him and ask for some stories. The list is long.
Gerald Kelly is a true face of racing.
Join Standardbred Canada in showing appreciation for Gerald Kelly and all of the unsung heroes of our industry as we celebrate National Caretaker Appreciation Day across our nation.
The remaining 2025 National Caretaker Appreciation Day event is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10 at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
National Caretaker Appreciation Day was launched in 2017 to recognize and reward caretakers in the Standardbred industry across Canada.
(Standardbred Canada Press Release)