Marsh Award "For Humans Only?"

Dear Sir:

I listened the other day to a round table discussion on the Fan 590 by several sports writers/editors around the discussion of letting a "horse" be named athlete of the year in Canada.

We all know of the write-in campaign to try and get Somebeachsomewhere in the running for this honour (we know he will receive many industry awards) and however worthy it might have been the effort fell short.

No disgrace, the winner Chantal Petitclerc was deserving and the trend seems to have been in an olympic year an olympic athelete maybe rates more of a mention than most. I have no quarrel with the outcome. However afterward a vote was taken to amend whatever rules they have to make the award a "humans" only award, now that's rubbing salt in the wound.

None of the writers seemed to know of the impact the equine athlete had made on the sport which is very sad, that perhaps a once in a lifetime horse (well for people my age anyway) whose accomplishments on the racetrack as well as bringing people out to watch his great performances isn't recognized in the mainstream media. One could argue no other athelete has done as much for his/her sport this past year than the Beach.

Everyone of us involved in this industry should pause and reflect on this; our industry is a fringe sport and we all have to work extremely had to change this perception and make it truly mainstream. This may take a major overhaul of some kind, a different business model, a real marketing plan and a better product to watch.

I have several things I hope for in the new year and one is that racing industry will cease the infighting of the past few years so we can start the turnaround,also I wish we could have another Beach or two to provide the thrills,excitement and entertainment we need to sell our product. Call me a dreamer but I think we can get our act together.

David Gilders

It's very convenient to rule that the Lou Marsh award is only for humans only AFTER the suggestion is made that an equine athlete was perhaps more dominant this year than any of the humans nominated. There's a curious double standard going on, as well -- the argument also having been made that Eric Lamaze, who brought home an individual gold and team silver medal in showjumping from the Olympics, ought not to have been eligible for this award because he, after all, was just the rider and the horse (Hickstead) did all the work! Well, which is it -- if Hickstead is the designated athlete in that partnership, how can one argue that Somebeachsomewhere is not one??

He isn't Canadian. He was born in the U.S.A. Case Closed.... Unless someone can show me his application to become a Canadian citizen. Then being accepted.......

Athlete = an athlete in a sport

If Somebeachsomewhere is being ruled as not an athlete, where does that leave harness racing? Not a sport?

Doesn't that raise the question that by eliminating everything other than humans from the award that 'Beach' was likely a winner? Some group of voters likely thought "how would the Canadian society take to a horse winning an award that the average person thought was placed anually into human hands?". I think the right decision was made, but if it could have been possible, I would have liked to see the beach win. But look at it this way, a little pony(SBSW) in a big forest, scared the big bears(Lou Marsh voters) into the woods!

Best of Luck in the breeding shed, I'll have my hand up when your first crop stands in the ring!

Somebeachsomewhere has been great for the sport of harness racing. But remember SBSW is a race horse not an athlete. Why would anyone want to cheapen all the good this horse has done for harness racing by stretching the rules or lack of a rule (until yesterday) by trying to build a case that he is an Outstanding Canadian Athlete and should receive the Lou Marsh award.

I’m glad the Lou marsh committee created the humans only rule. Just imagine what the list of nominees would look like next year. 2 birds, 1 pig, 1 donkey, 2 cows, etc.

I personally think that the Beach is a tremendous animal. I watched each and every one of his starts with great interest. He has done the industry in general (and more specifically in the Maritimes) a great service by renewing interest with former followers of the sport AND the mainstream public who has probably never visited a racetrack in their lives.

With respect to the animal and his connections; he deserves awards in his own right (HOY in Canada and US, 3yo colt in Canada and US) but, not things like the Lou Marsh. In fairness, the horse has no clue that he is getting awards X, Y or Z nor does he care. In this instance you would be offering an award to the ownership group so that it may sit with his other numerous accolades and collect dust. I believe that this award needs to go to a person who is recognized for their outstanding achievements throughout the year; someone who will take great pride in this recognition.... I'm sure Beach would rather have a few carrots.

Good luck in the breeding shed Beach; your on track exploits will be missed. Thanks for the ride!

I have no problem accepting Chantal as the winner.She is an amazing athlete.However,I am disappointed about SBSW not winning mainly because it would have brought harness racing into newspapers,TV sports desks and talk shows across the country and there would have been a new 'awareness'born overnight.

I think it's funny because a few years back wasn't Chantal the one who lost Athlete of the year to an able bodied hurdler (Perdita Felicien?) even though that one had few wins and didn't make the first hurdle in the Athen's Olympics but the committee felt paraolympians didn't count as athletes and discounted Chantal and her records and medals. Now she all of a sudden is an athlete and deserves the win.

Seems to be pot calling kettle black syndrome. I guess because SBSW can't complain he is being discrimminated against it's ok.

I personally have never been one to put much creedence in any year end awards. Like all those posters before me, I applaud the accomplishments of Chantal Petitclerc. She is truly an outstanding individual. I also see no problem with the Lou Marsh committee instituting a new rule restricting the award to human athletes. Horses have their own awards ceremonies....nobody seems to be complaining that SBSW didn;t win anything at The Royal Winter Fair.

What SBSW accomplished this year is tremendous. He is the kind of horse we will be talking about for years to come. Same as many still talk about the likes of Cam Fella, Bret Hanover, Mack Lobell, etc. But how many human athletes have found themselves in the same boat as SBSW in years high profile athletes won the award? All these awards are is common popularity contests. They mean nothing at the end of the day. The people who understand the role SBSW has played in our sport, saw the crowds who gathered to see him perform, won't be any more impressed by some bs end of year honour. They mean nothing and they contribute nothing to his already impressive resume. He has been a big shot of adrenaline to the standardbred industry. Hopefully we don;t look like a bunch of crybabies when this is all said and done.

I was involved in harness racing industry,as driver and in management position, for 20 years and I still follow it regular, as I have several nephews particapating in Ontario and Pompano. I think SBSW is an outstanding horse but the Lou Marsh award was put up for humans.I feel it should not be changed,as its intent was to honor humans athletes not animals.SBSW has and will win many awards but he should never be winner of Lou Marsh award as it would go against the wishes/intentions of those who created it to honor HUMAN athletes

Call me stupid but I just don't get it.

Darryl Kaplan thinks SBSW should have been given the Lou Marsh Award for Canadian Athlete of the year right.

Well is this fine specimen of pacing flesh actually Canadian? This is debatable in it's own right, right from the get go.

This horse (SBSW) was conceived in the United States where his dam was artificially inseminated with semen drawn off his sire here in Canada.

He was then born in United States, raised in United States, sold in United States and raced approximately half of his starts in United States and made at least half of his earnings in United States and took his lifetime mark in United States.

The Animal didn't race in our Sires Stake program at all as a 2yr old and as a sophomore he only started in it twice out of 11 possible starts. That doesn't sound to patriotic to me.

Now that his racing career has come to an end, our so called Canadian Champion is returning back to Untied States to continue his legacy by standing stallion at an American Nursery. When Ontario is searching for a reason for breeders to improve their broodmare bands.

I'm quite sure that everyone will say the Beach has to go to Hanover Shoe Farms to get the class of mares he deserves to create that world champion off spring but is that accurate?

I believe Winback farms here in Ontario has quite a substantial broodmare band, that has produced more than a few world beaters and I think they would have thrown the barn doors wide open and rolled out the red carpet if given the opportunity to stand the Beach at stud here in Canada and lets face it know matter where the horse was going to stand stud he was going to get the cream of the crop of mares for the first three years regardless and according to his trainer there is nothing wrong with the OSS, he likes it and bar none it is as good a Sires Stake program going in North America as there is.

So how Canadian is the Beach? You tell me cause I just don't seem to be able to get my head around it. I think I used the words United States more often then the word Canadian writing this up.

To the person who said Niatross never won any "human" awards, I suggest you check your facts. He was awarded Athlete of the Year in 1980 by The New York Post. That year was an Olympic year with the Miracle On Ice in the United States.

In the U.S., writers had the courage to name both Secretariat and Niatross Athlete's of the Year. Somehow our writers want to institute a rule to make sure it can never happen.

I honestly think that this "Humans Only" rule is very stupid. Somebeachsomewhere is canadian and a Major Athlete. Somebeachsomewhere set numerous world records, on almost every size track. 1:46 as a three year old, 1:49 as a 2 year old, 1:49 on a half mile track, a record of 20 races, 19 wins, and 1 second and 3,328,755 in the bank. Ms. Petitclerc you have a very impressive athletic resume, but so does Somebeachsomewhere, maybe even better. I think that the rule should state that any athlete that is Canadian and that has some major athletic feat accomplished should be considered, even if the considered is not a human.

Wayne Gretzky doesn't come close to the superb athlete SomeBeach is.
He didn't come close to Howe or Orr or Hull not to mention a few. There
probably never be a horse as great as the beach is in my future. I still
think he should have won hands down.

Why does this industry feel somebeachsomewhere is entitiled to win human awards?
Niatross was never considered for any human awards.and he was special!! He was a horse a decade ahead of his time..Somebeachsomewhere cannot say that!
You dont see hockey parents of tyke ages demanding thier child be considered for 3 year old of the year.

Its time for this dying industry to get back into the real world!

I, as a lover of all that is alive and has any sense of feeling, believe that to keep humanity on the road to compassion and equality, it has to start from societys view of our century old human injustaces wars,animals, women, children that still goes on every day , to saY THAT AN ANIMAL IS EXCLUDED FROM THIS Award is just taking us back a tad, i'm not saying that Chantal wasn't worthy of this award, i voted for her, she is an amazing canadian athlete, and justley deserves it but do not exclude anybody or any other living creature, lets keep it on a level playing field,
regards c
congrats chantal again , you are truly a superb athlete

Sorry, but as good as he was I still don't understand for the life of me how SBSW was ever under consideration for this award!!! Wayne Gretzky, Steve Nash, Mike Weir, Somebeachsomewhere... I don't think so!

With all due respect for this years winner who is an amazing athlete, geez people, don't think outside the box a little, YOUR HEADS MAY EXPLODE!

...and this is why the whole world thinks Canadians are boring and predictable. They may have a point, eh?

So they made the rule today,,Nice of them is it not.
I am glad Chantal won,,she deserves the award, but not on the basis of disqualifing a whole species..Interesting tactics..