The Langley, BC, native won the class aboard Billy Cevelle only five months after sustaining life-threatening injuries in a car accident involving a moose. Gary, who hails from London, England, but was raised in Red Deer, Alberta, got his first pony at the age of five. He worked his way through Pony Club and eventually decided to focus on riding competitively, graduating from the junior ranks by winning the 1989 CET Medal Finals under the tutelage of Chris Brand.
At 21, he moved west to train with Brent and Laura Balisky at Thunderbird Show Stables in Langley, BC, where he worked for three years before branching out on his own. He now operates out of Ray and Judy Wise’s Fairway Farms, conveniently located across the street from Thunderbird Show Park.
For Gary, who has two healthy children and a happy marriage of 16 years, the accident that took place on April 20th, 2012, brought new meaning to the word “gratitude.” He spent five days in ICU with a skull fracture, two brain bleeds, and 70 stitches; doctors were not optimistic about his prognosis. During recovery, “I basically spent a month in a dark cave,” he recalls. “No phone, no email, no stimulation of any kind. I did a lot of what we called “stroller therapy,” as we had a two-month-old baby at the time. There was a lot of walking in the early months; it was all I could handle, mentally.” After six weeks, he began to gradually increase his mental and physical workload, backing off when he felt pushed.
The unpredictability of brain injury and the uncertainty of what lay ahead was perhaps most difficult for Gary. “Nobody can predict the future with brain injuries and that was the hardest thing for me,” he explains. “All they would say was, “just give it time.” It was hard and at the same time very miraculous that everything came around.” A solid support system at home ensured the horses stayed fit, led by his wife, Suzanne, who kept top horse Billy Cevelle, a seven-year-old British-bred gelding, in shape jumping around the 1.30m classes with great success. Gary took on a new role on the ground and behind the scenes, working his way up to lungeing and hacking by the end of the summer. “The nice thing about the horses is that there’s so much you can do, even from the ground. Being around them was good therapy. The first day I was able to hack a horse I went for a ten-minute walk and that was so exciting. The next day I was so fatigued – the brain functions are so interesting, and I learned so much respect for emotional exhaustion.”
It was a remarkable recovery, and the accident left Gary with a new lease on life. “When you work with good horses, good people, and good customers, this life isn’t a job. Every day I have fun doing what I love. It was hard not knowing if or when I would get back in the ring, but being able to still teach and do things on the ground makes you appreciate that you can still be involved and useful even if not in the saddle. I realized I could still have fun just being with the horses.”
As he begins the 2013 season riding a string of quality horses, including Dreamscape Farm’s stallions Banderas and Bon Balou, and Windline Farm’s stallion, Lokomotion, Gary is understandably adamant about safety. “Seatbelts save lives. I was extremely lucky with a head injury and after learning about brain trauma and concussions, I strongly advocate wearing a helmet whenever on horseback. I now wear a helmet for everything,” he states. “Your life could get turned upside down from the smallest stumble or trip; it doesn’t have to be a big jump or a naughty young horse. It has given me appreciation for how quickly things can change. I definitely count my blessings.”
