LAZY MD ARABIANS
February 5th, 2009 began like any other day. At the Lazy MD Stables in Cedar Fort, UT, this should have been like any other day-the horses would be fed, groomed, and worked; preparations would be made to leave to the Scottsdale Arabian show; and lessons would be given. For Stephen Beck, however, this was no ordinary day. By 4:00, he had just completed his first of two lessons: one with his new hunter horse Ravenwood Quhteef; the next lesson would be with his country English horse, May Day LOA. Despite May Day's youth-who at this point in time had only been shown in two competitions-Stephen had goals of top 5 in regional competition and top 10 at Canadian Nationals. After only one show together, Stephen and May Day were already qualified for Canada. The upcoming show season was looking very positive.
This completely normal day quickly changed for Stephen after two minutes into his lesson on May Day. His trainer, Melissa Bradley, asked him to pick up a canter to the right and canter in a circle. May Day was feeling a bit frisky-as English horses generally do-and when asked for the canter, he bucked a little bit. Stephen was caught off guard and fell forward. After a second buck, Stephen fell off and landed sideways, directly on his left hip. The ordinary day had come to an end.
The nightmare that followed was filled with intense pain, near loss of consciousness, feelings of panic and disbelief, and a fear of what the worst case scenario could possibly be-along with a faint hope for the best. The situation went from bad to worse after a bumpy ambulance ride to the trauma center at the Intermountain Medical Center. Following numerous X-rays and a CAT scan, the on-call trauma surgeon broke the news that Stephen had broken his femur in the worst possible place-right at the neck of the femur when the bone connects to the hip. Not only was the bone broken, but the blood supply to the femur head had been cut off. Even with a successful surgery, it would be several months before it would be possible to know if the blood supply to the femur head had been reestablished. If not, Stephen would need a hip replacement. The hopes for a successful show season were waning rapidly.
Following his surgery, Stephen was instructed to remain immobile for six weeks and not to use the left leg at all in order to minimize any stress on the break. Any shifting of the bone would increase the risk that blood supply to the femur head could be compromised. After six weeks, Stephen discovered that he had lost all muscle strength in his leg. He could not lift his leg at all. The loss of strength in his thigh muscles had also resulted in knee problems.
The next five months were filled with intense physical therapy and an arduous recovery. It was not until the end of June that Stephen got back on a horse-and he didn't get on May Day. His son's horse, Magic, has a very smooth gait and would serve well as a transitional assistant. "I really didn't think riding again would be a big deal", says Stephen, "but when I tried to do a posting trot, I knew I was in trouble. There was a lot more pain in my knee and hip than I had expected. I didn't think that with only six weeks before Canadian Nationals there would be any possibility of competing." With a lot of encouragement from Melissa and four short riding sessions per week, Stephen soon began to have more strength and feel more confidence. With three weeks to go before Canadian Nationals, he got back on May Day. "I have to admit-I was scared. This whole thing had really shaken me up".
A little more than six months after his Accident, Stephen was riding May Day in the Half Arabian Country English Pleasure finals at Canadian Nationals with fifteen other horses. These were the best horses and riders in the nation. People kept telling him how it's an honor just to be there. At the beginning of the competition he was a bit intimated by all the other horses. These are the best of the best, and he had only shown May Day one time. Plus, this was his first national show. "I really didn't think I had a chance, but then another rider told me that when I go into the arena with my big horse, a lot of people are going to be scared-meaning the other riders in the class. From that point on, I was determined to make something of myself".
Stephen's performance in the finals was not completely perfect. After a slight mishap-picking up a canter instead of a trot the second direction-he thought the ride was over. After all, three judges were watching. But then Melissa said from the rail, "keep going, it's ok", and he went on to finish the ride with a smile.
Anyone who has competed in a horse show knows the feeling of a good ride. While this ride was not flawless, Stephen knew he and May Day had done well. When the top ten winners were called back from the paddock area, the last number to be called back (in numerical order) was 749: May Day LOA, ridden by Stephen Beck. His actual placement was 5th.
An Ordinary Day
