this is neville bardos, international horse of the year.
ten years ago, he was just another slow racehorse on the auction block, ready to be sold to a slaughterhouse. boyd martin (the rider) bought him for $850 on a whim - a whim that seriously paid off. by 2006 he was an international champ, and in 2010 he was a prospect for the 2012 olympics.
but in may of last year, neville was caught in a terrible barn fire that killed six other horses. he was the last horse to be saved and thanks to massive damage to his lungs from the smoke, he barely survived. the vet said he would never compete again.
this photo was taken just 3 months after that fire. neville and boyd placed seventh in this competition, one of the most prestigious in the world. this summer, he will probably compete as part of the us olympic eventing team.
moral of the story? you can push through anything. don’t give up!
