He was an ex-racehorse, named after a notorious Australian gangster, and cost $850 as a sales project.
But Neville Bardos outshone everyone’s expectations — including those of his rider and original owner, Boyd Martin.
The chestnut gave Boyd his “first taste of victory at the FEI level, winning the Melbourne Three Day Event. I will never forget pulling out a clear round and receiving the trophy from Australian eventing legend Bill Roycroft. From that moment on, the fire was lit,” Boyd said.
Neville helped put Boyd on the international eventing map after he was imported in 2008 as an 8-year-old to the U.S. from Australia, which had been home to both of them. The gritty thoroughbred took Boyd to the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky just two years later, ending with a tenth-place finish in their first championship.
“I had come so close so many times to riding at a championship, but had always fallen short,” Boyd admitted.
At the 2010 WEG, Boyd had a show jumping round with Neville he will never forget.
“I honestly thought it might never happen. Nev and I finished on our dressage score. He really delivered. To this day, I can still remember every stride and every jump of that show jumping course. That event really gave me momentum for the rest of my journey.”
Boyd and Nev after dressage at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games.
On Wednesday, Boyd, his family, friends and Neville’s owners sent their beloved horse to his well-deserved eternal rest at the age of 27.
After retirement, Nev had lived in the field at Boyd’s farm in Pennsylvania, no doubt teaching the young horses pastured with him a few tricks.
“He was very happy, but over the last year, he really started losing weight and muscle,” Boyd reported.
“I had Neville’s longtime vet and good mate, Dr. Kevin Keane, take a look at him, and we both agreed that the upcoming winter would be unfair for Neville to endure.”
So it was a fond goodbye after what Boyd rightly termed, “a good run. He was one of those horses that truly changed my career. I’m not sure I have ever ridden a horse as tough and brave as Nev.”
Boyd mentioned that Nev “had a feisty outlook on life.” He wouldn’t have been a quick sell, but it all worked out when Boyd learned “he could seriously jump.”
Neville and Boyd at Rolex Kentucky 2010.
Nev eventually was sold to a syndicate, even though, as Boyd recalled, “It was a daunting task finding 10 people to support him, and I sincerely want to thank the group that got behind him.
“At the time, I was an unknown rider with a wild Thoroughbred and big dreams. Those 10 people gave me the belief that there were supporters in this country who would stick by you through the good and bad and help you achieve your goals. The bulk of that group are still supporting horses for me 16 years later.”
Boyd and Nev the year after they came to America.
“In 2011, we had a terrible barn fire at True Prospect Farm. It was one of the most horrific events of my life. I managed to free a few of the horses, with the last one being Nev.
“I will never forget dragging him down the aisleway by his windsucking collar, with my good mate Phillip (Dutton) pushing him from behind as the roof was falling in,” said Boyd. The firemen tried to stop the friends from going back into the blazing barn, but they prevailed.
“Along with a number of other horses, Neville spent weeks in the intensive care unit at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center recovering,” recounted Boyd.
“I truly got to see the heart of a champion when Neville came back into work. They completed their goal of competing at the Burghley 5-Star.
“I have never felt a horse with so much grit and determination as Nev,” Boyd stated.
“I also believe he was the first event horse ever to make the front page of The New York Times through his amazing achievements.”
Boyd thanked the people who helped him with the horse. They included: Kate Chadderton, Shannon Kinsley, Lindsay Taylor, and Steph Simpson among the grooms and caretakers.
“They all equally loved him and cared for his every need during the prime of his competition career. I also want to thank his farriers, Bob Sims in Australia and Doug Neilson in America, for their care and dedication to Nev over the years.
“Sarah Reese cared for him, rode him, and groomed him every day in the twilight of his life. Neville loved Sarah, and she really looked after him like the champion he was.”
Listing his coaches, he mentioned his wife, Silva, who rode him at his first-ever eventing competition at Scone Horse Trials, and fell off him in the cross-country.”
Then there was Heath Ryan, Jamie Coman, and Leesa Robinson in Australia, and in the U.S., Phillip Dutton, Katie Prudent, Lauren Hough, Michael Barisone, Oded Shimoni, and Mark Phillips.
Neville was buried by Boyd at the top of the gallop track at his farm.
“Every time I zoom up that track, I will always think of him at the top of the hill,” Boyd noted fondly.
“It’s amazing how horses touch our lives. Never in my life would I have believed that a scruffy off-the-track Thoroughbred would have such an incredible impact on my life.”
Not to mention the life of everyone who became a fan after seeing what he could do and learning abou this legendary life
