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I’m about as far away from the figure skating wars as possible, sitting at Santa Anita Park in Los Angeles, with a foggy view of the San Gabriel Mountains hovering above my laptop.

This is horse heaven here today, at the Breeders’ Cup world thoroughbred championships, with nary an ice chip or a skating blade in sight. Across the Pacific Ocean, Canadian skaters are struggling to find medals at Big Hat arena in Nagano, site of the 1998 Olympics. These are two different worlds.

Canadian horses are here this weekend, searching for “medals” too against the best in the world. It is their Olympic Games. Already at 8 a.m., cars were lined up to get into Santa Anita. The chef at The Carvery on the first floor was brandishing his knife. And for some reason, Breeders’ Cup folks still think it’s a good idea to charge $10 for grandstand admission, at a time when the American economy isn’t at its zenith. It’ll be interesting to see how many people show up for this spectacle today and tomorrow.

Santa Anita itself? Beautiful racetrack. VAST grandstand, with wooden chairs that remind you of a 1940s setting. Stunning views. A special place.

While I’m gone, Battle of the Blades continues apace this weekend, with Katarina Witt as guest judge. Both I and two-time world champion, Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland, have been at just about every Sunday night event. He’s quite amused by it all. So am I.

Last Sunday night, the entertainment didn’t start with the CBC show. Co-host Kurt Browning decided to get a little exercise before the show started, not an easy task in the spotlights and the lighting display of rotating logos. Once the lights went up, Browning set to work, astonishing people who were filing to their seats. He landed several triple toe loop – triple toe loop jump combinations. And then a couple of double Axel – half loop – triple Salchow sequences. Not bad for a 43-year-old who has had knee surgery.

True to form, Browning took some pratfalls, and made them look as if he did them on purpose. He has a particular skill at making people laugh and entertaining them.

Browning wrapped up his show with one last bit of showmanship. Donald Jackson was sitting in the front row of chairs on the ice. This is the Donald Jackson who was the first man to land a triple Lutz in competition in 1962 and who won Canada’s first world figure skating title among men with a gutsy come-from-behind performance – the ultimate competitor. Jackson started a train of ground-breaking Canadian males in the sport: Donald McPherson, Toller Cranston, Vern Taylor (first man to land a triple Axel), Brian Orser, Browning, Elvis Stojko, Jeff Buttle, and why not? Let’s throw Gary Beacom in there.

Browning swirled up to Jackson, knelt down and kissed his shoe.

Enough said.