I never really thought anyone would see it differently. To me, it's obvious. But even on this website, one-third of our readers don't think the horse is an athlete

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Last year, the Lou Marsh Committee snubbed Somebeachsomewhere when his name was put forward for Canada's Male Athlete of the Year. This year, there was considerable uproar after voters named thoroughbred Zenyatta as the runner-up to Serena Williams for Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year.

Is the horse an athlete? Drivers most certainly are. Herve Filion already won the Lou Marsh Award and numerous drivers have been enshrined into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Why does the equine participant in the race not receive consideration for the effort?

Professional or amateur athletes have coaches and sponsors. Horses have trainers and owners. Certain coaches have the ability to get more out of athletes, certain trainers have that same knack. Top coaches and trainers also have the ability to spot raw talent in a young and yet untapped individual. Owners and sponsors both attempt to attract the cream of the crop with lucrative offers and contracts.

Every day, the top athletes concern themselves with diet and training. Horses receive diets with considerable consideration to protein and carbohydrates, and are now being treated with PRP therapy and stem cells to heal injuries faster.

Think about the power behind the stride, the muscular definition captured in a photo as the winner hits the finish line. Is that Usain Bolt or Muscle Hill in your mind? It could be either one.

Perhaps in the past people wondered if the horse was internally driven to compete. After all, the driver could urge the horse (some might say without considerable penalty) down the stretch. Now, while a bettor might not be especially fond of the new urging rules, it could lend some credibility to any dispute over the desire to win within the standardbred. Why is Cam Fella still so loved as a racehorse? Why did people love the stretch duel between Sportswriter and All Speed Hanover in this year's Breeders Crown? Not because their drivers asked them for effort, but because they exhibited effort comparable to any athlete in a do-or-die situation. That's what our sporting heroes do.

People bet on races. People bet on pro sports. Horses race for purses. Pro athletes compete for performance bonuses. Horses don't have a bank account into which those purses are deposited, but the reality is that a horse with a solid resume of accomplishments on the track will in most cases receive a better life once retired. Heck, even some pro athletes with Hall of Fame resumes have a less than stellar life after their glory days of athletic competition.

When people recall the results of a major event in horse racing, they remember the horse that won first and foremost. Then the driver, the trainer and the owners. Let's give credit where it's due. To the horse, of course. Clearly as athletic as any sprinter, golfer or race car driver.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and all the best in 2010.
-JP