In
just a few short years, Boyd Martin has risen to the top of the sport
of eventing in the United States, and become a hometown hero for riders
and horse lovers in Chester County, PA. Boyd, a native of Australia,
relocated to the U.S. in 2007 and has since become a fierce competitor
at events across the nation, a well-respected trainer, and an integral
part of our international-level eventing program.
The
future looked bright for Boyd and his string of talented horses when
disaster struck this past May, and one of the barns at True Prospect
Farm in West Grove, PA burst into flames. Six horses perished in the
blaze, and those that survived were seriously injured. Among the
survivors was Neville Bardos, the gutsy horse that had carried Boyd to a
tenth-place finish at the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Neville had such
severe smoke damage to his lungs and windpipe that vets were unsure of
whether he would live through his injuries. Boyd and his staff had also
lost thousands of dollars worth of equipment in the fire, and the rider
and trainer also suffered the loss of a large part of his income after
the death of the horses that were not able to be rescued. And as if that
wasn’t enough to deal with, soon after the fire Boyd’s father and
father-in-law both passed away.
The
situation seemed insurmountable, but within hours of the fire that
began Boyd’s roller-coaster ride of bad luck, riders of every discipline
reached out to help. Money was donated, fund-raising raffles were held,
professionals offered their services for free, and thousands of people
sent encouraging words to Boyd, his family, and staff. The Delaware
Valley Combined Training Association raised hundreds of dollars at one
of their shows to help fund the fire relief, The Plantation Field Horse
Trials raised $8,000 to help Boyd rebuild, and local eventer Jane
Sleeper and her students organized a bake sale which raised $2,000 to
donate to the effort. The outpouring of support from Pennsylvania
equestrians was astonishing, and thanks to their generosity, soon Boyd’s
business was up and running at full speed. It was an unprecedented show
of compassion and giving from the horse community.
Neville
also bounced back more quickly than anyone could have imagined, and
made an amazing comeback. The horse recovered fully, and Boyd competed
him just a few short months later at the Burghley CCI**** in England,
one of the toughest tracks in the world, and rode to a miraculous 7th
place finish. Neville was recently recognized as the 2011 USEF
International Horse of the Year, a fitting tribute to this Chester
County hometown hero. Warner Brothers has even approached Boyd to
discuss making a movie about Neville’s incredible story! Maybe soon we
will be seeing Boyd and Neville on the silver screen as well as the
cross-country course.
This
past year was a trying one for Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos, but with
the help and support of their fellow eastern Pennsylvania equestrians
they came out on top. While their successes certainly speak to the
perseverance and tenacity of the pair, things would certainly have
turned out differently if not for the generosity and compassion of the
unique Pennsylvania horse community.
