Back in 2006 rising star Victorian apprentice Brenton Primmer had an horrific fall at Warracknabeal.
In the crash he smashed two vertebra in his neck and his brain bled.
Some doctors didn’t think he’d make it. He lay in hospital for two months in an induced coma.
Others, when he started to pull through, thought he may not walk again.
He was 17 when he fell.
Today, courtesy of an iron constitution, and a body prone to healing, Primmer wants to achieve on horse back again.
This time at the Paralympics.
He has a custom made saddle to help him, courtesy of the generosity of the great Gai Waterhouse, who saw him a few years ago and just admired his determination.
So she had a saddle specifically made for the young man and donated it to him for his gold medal quest.
That was a few years back.
Recently, Primmer’s old friend, former jockey Chris Symons gave him the love of his life – his own horse to help the cause.
“Brenton was finding it difficult to get a horse that suited him and I told him, ‘mate, guess what, I think I might have the horse for you.”
Symons who has also retired from race riding and now runs the Funky Farm Zoo, gave him his own horse and the pair have just bonded and become outstanding.
Said Primmer, “my confidence is sky high when I’m around the horse. He’s like my best mate having a drink at the pub.”
Primmer and Symons are great friends and the whole racing industry hopes the former star apprentice can make it to the Games.
