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Calvin Hanson Inducted into Cornwall Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

August 21, 2008

Cornwall, ON --- Calvin Hanson of Lunenburg, Ontario was one of 12 new inductees welcomed into the city of Cornwall Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 16, 2008 at the Cornwall Civic Complex, Cornwall, Ontario.

Hanson is the first sports person to be inducted from the sport of equestrian, and he was inducted as an equestrian builder.

A 44-year passion for horses turned into a full-time national and international equestrian career for Hanson who was born and raised in Cornwall, Ontario and later purchased a farm in Lunenburg to expand his involvement with horses into a full-time career.

For 24 years, he was an exhibitor and trainer who showed horses competitively in a variety of disciplines winning over 500 awards in North America including 120 championships and 161 first prizes internationally, nationally, provincially, regionally, and locally – all achieved as a self-coached equestrian.

For 37 years, he was a builder in the equestrian sport. As a recognized official, Calvin was a highly respected international judge holding 26 judges licenses in Canada and the USA. He held the most licenses of any judge in Equine Canada and USA Equestrian Federation at the time, and he was the only judge in both countries licensed in all three equestrian seats (hunter seat, saddle seat, and western/reining seat). Twenty-five of his judges licenses were the highest level attainable in the sport. He judged from coast to coast in Canada, USA, and South Africa including world, grand national, international, national, regional, state, and provincial championships. He was a mentor to many apprentice judges, and to attendees at his judges seminars when he served as clinician/educator.

He bred champion Morgan and Arabian horses. Offspring produced by his ‘Big Oak Farm’ either won and/or produced champions at the world, grand national, international, regional, state and provincial level. Several generations of offspring channeling from his champion Morgan stallion Waseeka’s Serenade accounted for 13 World championships and 2 Reserve World championships.

As an historian, he computerized the foundation ancestry and history of the Morgan horse breed on a CD-ROM, which had never been done before, containing 45,000 horses from the 1600s up to the mid 1950s. This took 7 years to complete from 1993 to 1999, and in the process he made 6,000 new pedigree discoveries. Hanson donated the CD to the American Morgan Horse Association to update their Registry database, and they reproduced the CD and marketed it under the title, “THE CALVIN HANSON PROJECT.” Working another two years, he computerized a second CD containing 75,000 horses which linked the foundation ancestries common to seven horse breeds – the Thoroughbred, Standardbred, Morgan, American Saddlebred, Arabian, Tennessee Walker, and Quarter horse.

As an author, he wrote 28 copyrighted works and five books – three Morgan history books based on his computerization research, as well as "Score Cards for Equestrian Judges" and "Equitation Workouts – Practice Makes Perfect for Equestrian Judges, Coaches, Trainers and Riders." Many of his works are in the National Library and Archives Canada. He served as guest editor of "The Morgan Horse" magazine in the USA. Regularly, he authored articles for various international magazines as well as those in Canada such as Equine Canada and the Canadian Morgan Horse Association. He was also a horse show reporter, photographer and videographer.

In 1973, Hanson founded the Canadian Morgan Horse Association’s National Zonal High Score Awards program, and he also created the equitation Medal class rules for all seats in that association.

He served many national and international equestrian associations such as Equine Canada, USA Equestrian Federation, American Morgan Horse Association, Canadian Morgan Horse Association, International Saddle Seat Equitation Association, National Museum of the Morgan Horse, and Ontario Morgan Horse Club, etc. He enjoyed creating and developing the official rules of the sport governing the showing of horses, judges, and horse shows in Canada and the USA.

Locally, he originated several horse shows at Avonmore, Newington, and Williamstown. He served as a horse show volunteer, gave clinics to youth and adult groups, developed new classes at many competitions, and spearheaded equestrian clubs in the Cornwall and Ottawa areas.

Known for creating special international projects, he has generously donated eight of his works and their copyrights back to the sport.

In 1996, he received the highest honour awarded by the State of Kentucky, when Governor Paul E. Patton commissioned him with the title of “Colonel” in The Honourable Order of Kentucky Colonels.

In 1996, he received the key to the city of Louisville, Kentucky from Mayor Jerry Abramson. He received honour certificates from the Governor of Ohio George V. Voinovich in 1996, and the Premier of South Africa’s Western Cape Hernus Kriel in 1998.

The American Morgan Horse Association presented Calvin with three honours: the "Man of the Year Award" in 1999, "The Calvin Hanson Project – First CD-ROM Produced May 2001 Award" and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

In 2007, Hanson received the "Benson Friends of the Round Table Award" at the Cornwall Ontario Lions Club Sports Awards banquet, and he was inducted into the South Stormont Sports Hall of Fame.

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