Feb. 14, 2001-- Utah's most accomplished athlete may not be Karl Malone or Steve Young, or any budding Olympic star for that matter. Rather, an Arabian Horse.

He's a four-legged runner who's legacy extends beyond racing.

It takes a strong endurance horse to finish this 100 mile ride.

A.A. Omner has won dozens of competitions like these. He's been inducted into the endurance horse Hall of Fame. And named one of the top ten endurance horses of the Millennium.

(Beverly Gray/Owner "HE'S AN ATHLETE THAT FAR EXCELS QUITE A FEW MARATHON RUNNERS, FOOTBALL STARS, BASKETBALL STARS, HE'S A VERY SPECIAL HORSE."

And yes, we're told he has an NBA-style ego.

He pawed impatiently while we made him pose for our cameras. Omner and owner Beverly Gray train in the mountains of Park City.

"IT'S NOTHING FOR HIM TO CLIMB TO NINE-THOUSAND FEET AND RECOVER WITHIN SECONDS. SO, HE'S GOT A VERY BIG HEART, LITERALLY."

That heart has pulled Omner through his toughest race yet, which wasn't on any course. In 1991, veterinarians discovered he had cancer. The prognosis was so bad, Gray was preparing Omner's burial.

"THIS STRONG HEARTED HORSE RECOVERED FROM CANCER IN 1991 AND WENT ON TO WIN MANY, MANY MORE RACES.")) Nadine Wimmer, Eyewitness News: "OMNER IS SO RENOWN, THE BRYER HORSE COMPANY IS MAKING A MODEL OF HIM. HE'LL BE A COLLECTOR'S ITEM NOT ONLY BECAUSE HE'S AN ATHLETE, BUT THEY PLAN TO MARKET HIM IN HOSPITAL GIFT SHOPS SO HE CAN BE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHER CANCER PATIENTS."

"ANIMALS ARE HEALERS. AND I THINK HE CAN HELP PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM COURAGE AND DETERMINATION TO CONQUER THEIR OWN INABILITIES."

It's this part of his legacy that will make Omner a true sports hero, long after he stops competing.