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also knew that she would not want him to give up on the horse that she had helped train all winter. Boyd drove south to see Silva, and then one of his horse’s


owners, George Wintersteen, flew him back to Tallahassee in time to compete. Silva’s good friends Mary Griffin and Kate Hicks flew down to stay by Silva’s side while Boyd rode in— and won—the event at Red Hills. Things took a turn for the worse for the couple just a cou-


ple weeks later. “Just when I got home from the hospital at Bryn Mawr, Boyd was competing at the Carolina International at Southern Pines and I saw he had an RF (rider fault) in the results on my phone,” Silva remembers. “I called and he was in the ambulance. I was like, ‘Oh God, get out of there!’ He had broken his leg when a horse he was competing ran out and got too close to a corner jump on cross-country. I couldn’t walk and he couldn’t walk!” “Luckily a really good friend of ours stayed with us,” Silva


adds. “Pat Conyers, she fed us and got us around and took great care of us.” After spending weeks


recuperating together, with family and friends coming to their aid, Boyd managed to get back in the tack. With a Land Rover grant to cover expenses, he competed Shamwari 4 at the Luhm- uehlen CCI**** in Germany and finished third overall to secure a spot on the World Equestrian Games team. His coach and mentor, Phil- lip Dutton, kept his horses going while Boyd was laid up, and rode Trading Aces when his own horse sus- tained a minor injury just before the WEG. Trading Aces went on to compete at the WEG with Phillip in the irons, while Boyd was on the team with Shamwari 4 and finished eighth individually, the top American placing. (Phillip and Trading Aces did not finish, retiring on the cross-country course.) What was equally impressive as Boyd’s determination? In June, Silva started riding again.


Amazing Support While Silva was laid up, Kymmy Pullen, Gracia Huenefeld and Scout Ford literally picked up the reins and kept thing going at her barn. “I was so lucky to have my girls keep my business and horses going. I couldn’t have picked up where I left off with out them!” she boasts. Kymmy says, “Having worked for Silva for almost four


years, her training program was engraved in my brain. In that aspect it was easy to keep things going the way she would want. The owners were very supportive and confident in


Silva’s team, which was immensely helpful so that we could relax and get the job done.” With Boyd also on the sidelines, a reliable and well-trained staff became especially important. “We count ourselves very lucky that we have an awesome, reliable and dedicated staff,” says Boyd. “They’ve all seen us through some very difficult times and we couldn’t have done it without them.” Silva’s family also provided a great deal of support, with her mom and sisters visiting during the couple’s recupera- tion, cooking and cleaning and generally keeping things in order around the house. One of the hardest aspects of dealing with a brain injury


is that there is no splint or cast or outward indication that the person is injured. While the person is struggling to deal with everyday tasks, people have no idea what someone is going through and if they don’t know that person was injured, may be impatient or lack understanding. “I’ve got to tell you, I’d never really been injured before, and a brain injury is a hard thing because people don’t really see it. People can’t see it,” Silva remarks. While it takes a lot of


Silva and Rosa during the jog at the Nations Cup not long before the accident.


hard work and persever- ance to come back from a brain injury, it also takes patience. “Silva was very determined to get back to normal,” says Kymmy. “The hard part was we needed her to slow down in order to speed up her recovery! She was very determined to overcome this injury, which is why she is back better than ever! I didn’t think it was possible, but I feel like the


injury has made her even more driven, dedicated, and pas- sionate about riding than she was before.” Boyd says, likewise, “Silva’s a tough girl and has shown


her strength again and again. I’m sure she’ll back better than ever.” In late July, Silva returned to competition, earning qualify-


ing scores for Benefactor (a.k.a. “Benny,” by Bonheur out of Heidekleid/Rubenstein I) for the GAIG/USDF regional cham- pionships. She’s excited to come back to FEI competition at Dressage at Devon with Rosa Cha W, a horse she bred and trained herself. “The last time I competed Rosa was at a CDI in Florida and she’s come a long way. I think it’s going to be emotional because it’s been six months now and it’s unbe- lievable that I can even think about entering that show [Dev- on]. I think a lot of the syndicate members and my friends are going to come out, and it’s great that it’s close to home because a lot of people can come to watch.”


Warmbloods Today 33


Courtesy Silva Martin


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