TASMANIAN harness racing stalwart Doug McKillop has been rewarded for his loyalty and service to the industry by being awarded the 2011 Edgar Tatlow Medal.
Being awarded the Tatlow medal is considered the highest accolade in the sport and McKillop is a deserving addition to the prestigious list of previous recipients that began with Doug Martin in 2001.
Edgar Tatlow is regarded as one of the trailblazers of Australian harness racing and the Tatlow Medal commemorates the major influence the Tasmanian-born pioneer standardbred breeding legend had on the industry.
McKillop has been involved in various facets of harness racing for the majority of his life.
He started on the Committee of the Carrick Park Pacing Club and was an inaugural member of the Launceston Pacing Club (LPC).
He was Vice Chairman and Chairman of the LPC and was a member of the steering committee formed to negotiate the transfer of harness racing from Elphin to the Mowbray complex.
McKillop was a long term member and Chairman of the Tasmanian Harness Racing Board and in addition he was a member of the racing industry’s former governing body the Racing Directorate and he was the harness industry representative on the old TAB Board for 13 years (up to 1996).
McKillop part owned Tasman Lodge Stud at Westbury standing top stallions Atashy, Merchant Marine and Lindy’s Laodicea. He was a member of various pacing syndicates including the very successful Top Ten Syndicate.
McKillop purchased stables and property at Gilbert Hill, Perth and employed Bill Dornauf as trainer. The property ‘Keppoch Lodge’ was named after Keppoch in Scotland, where the McKillop family originated.
McKillop still enjoys breeding and racing harness horses. Some he has bred or raced include Gold Display, Majority Rules, Tasman Boy, Pollick, The Exchange, Traceys Lass, Terrific Lass, Shy Ticket, Chris Columbus, Safe Prospect and Hesa Prospect.
Previous winners of the Edgar Tatlow Medal are Doug Martin (2001), Peter Cooley (2002), Keith Stanley (2003), Pauline Barker (2004), Darrell Rockliff (2005), Don Cornish (2006), Eric Fleming (2007), Eric Bean (2008), Tem Fish (2009) and Henry Pullen (2010).
Listen to what Doug McKillop had to say about his Edgar Tatlowe Medal award – click here.