It could have been worse (considering Lawtons 70 plus years and thank
goodness for the helmet) - five broken ribs and a separated shoulder.
Lawtons wife Francis broke her hip last March getting ready for the ride
that was to celebrate their 50'th anniversity. At the 94 Biltmore 100,
Misty hit a soft creek bank and went down and I went flying. The helmet
did save me. I only had three broken ribs but the helmet was cracked
almost in half. My wife, Kathy, sustained a compression fracture in her
back getting bucked off a horse she was training.
We all have many stories like these. This is not a risk free sport. We
all feel for the victims of these accidents and we all take another look as
to why we do it. We all try to do the best we can to train our horses, to
keep ourselves in shape and to use the best judgement we can - but the
bottom line is there is risk in horseback riding. But for most of us the
rewards are well worth the risk. As (I believe it was) Winston Churchill
said - "Lord if I must go let it be on the back of a Galloping horse".
My sympathy goes out to all those in pain from these recently posted accidents.
Truman
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The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.
Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
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