Boyd Martin's Miracle Australian Horse - Neville Bardos - Jointly Named USEF Horse of the Year

Horse of the Year Neville Bardos (Photo Courtesy of USEA)

For the first time ever, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) crowned two horses with its highest honor, one from an International Discipline and one from a National Discipline. Neville Bardos and Sjoerd were named 2011 Horses of the Year at USEF annual Horse of the Year celebration. Honoured for their accomplishments in 2011 their roads through the last 12 months, while both exceptional, have been very different.

Top eventer, Neville Bardos, was one of Boyd Martin's horses that was trapped in the West Grove, PA barn fire early last year. He shouldn’t have lived. But he did. He shouldn’t have returned to his life as an event horse. But he returned better than ever.  Trapped in the burning barn for 45 minutes, Neville Bardos made a miraculous recovery from injuries sustained in the fire that claimed the lives of six other horses.

The now 13 year old Australian Thoroughbred gelding won the USEF National CCI3* championship in 2009 and was 10th at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games – leading the US effort. But his life changed dramatically in the early hours of Memorial Day in 2011. Martin pulled him out of the burning barn to safety. Neville Bardos was left with horrific injuries due to massive amounts of smoke inhalation and the subsequent damage to his throat, however, Neville never seemed to feel as badly as he should have and began to make a miraculous recovery. 

Through the help of his vet (Dr. Kevin Keane), his groom (Lindsey Taylor) and the Fair Hill Equine Therapy Center (where he visited the Hyperbaric Chamber), Neville defied the odds and made a miracle trip to the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in England in September. He rocketed around the cross-country course clean and fast and finished seventh at the world’s toughest CCI4*.

Braver than brave, Neville Bardos’ courage saw him through more than just a difficult cross country course it helped see Martin through the rebuilding of his own life. Shortly after the fire, Martin lost his father in a bicycling accident in Australia. Shortly after that Martin’s wife Silva lost her father to cancer. It was a nightmare summer for the Martin’s and Neville’s success helped them find their way through it.

Listen to Boyd Martin's comments when Neville Bardos won

 

Quick Link

• To find out more about the awards, Neville Bardos, the amazing Friesian Sjoerd and to watch videos of both winners, visit www.usefnetwork.com
• Read more about Neville's recovery from the fire at www.vet.upenn.edu