Athletes. Period.

“He's only human.” When it comes to sports, it's a phrase that can be tough to swallow. Sadly, we can create lists of athletes whose personal or professional transgressions have disappointed us. From being heroes to millions of us to becoming “only human.”

When ESPN named the 100 greatest athletes of the 20th Century, only two names escaped the possibility of ever being called, “only human.” The 35th and 84th greatest athletes of the Century were horses. And both Secretariat and Man O War never ran the risk of being called “only” anything. They were the most noble and respected type of athletes this world has seen, and they offered a type of inspiration that humans may be incapable of providing.

In 1947, an avid horseman by the name of Harry Price began travelling across Canada trying to enlist support to build a museum dedicated to Canadian athletes past and present. It took Price eight years to realize his vision, eventually establishing Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in Toronto in 1955. This year, the Hall, now housed in Calgary, Alberta, will celebrate its 60th Anniversary.

With Big Ben and Northern Dancer already in Canada's Hall, it would seem like the perfect year to push to ensure that a worthy candidate like Cam Fella be rightfully honoured.

But there's one major problem.

It seems that the Hall of Fame Board of Directors, at some recent point in time, created the following provision: “An animal or inanimate object will only be considered for induction into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame when requested by a successful nominee that has been ratified by the Board of Governors of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame for induction. The animal or inanimate object must have been integral to his/her achievements over an extended period of time.”

In other words, if Pat Crowe gets into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, he could propose to get Cam Fella mentioned alongside. And if Paul MacDonell or Brent McGrath are inducted, they could make a case for Somebeachsomewhere. Otherwise, the horses would be deemed ineligible.

To the Board of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame who are lumping together “animals and inanimate objects,” I say this: Secretariat, Northern Dancer and Cam Fella are not synonymous with the ball that Roger Clemens threw, the car driven by Mario Andretti, or the boxing gloves used by Muhammad Ali. They are not vehicles that great jockeys or drivers steer. And they are not accessories in any shape or form.

One hundred years before this country was founded and long before most of our contemporary sports even existed, our horses ran their hearts out. They were, and continue to be, athletes as true as any human who has ever competed. They are the athletes who inspire us, thrill us, and restore our faith in everything that sport is supposed to be about.

I'm not sure how a Hall of Fame which was started by a man who founded the Canadian Horse Show Association and chaired the Canadian Equestrian team has come to this decision, but I will give the institution the benefit of the doubt. To its credit, the Hall has always been respectful toward the sport of horse racing with several honoured members including John Campbell, Herve Filion, Bill O'Donnell, Joe O'Brien and Keith Waples. I remain hopeful that the current regulations, that makes horses ineligible as athletes, can be changed.

For now, if you ever come across a member of the Board of Directors of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, you may want to ask him/her the following trivia question: “Who was the first athlete ever to appear on the cover of Newsweek, Time and Sports Illustrated all in the same week?” The answer is Secretariat. I'm certainly not comfortable re-writing that bit of history or attempting to deny that Big Red was an athlete. I'm wondering if they are?

Darryl Kaplan
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