Para equestrian athlete Brooke Neville sets her sights on representing Australia

Brooke Neville has no idea how she survived the car crash that fractured her spine, broke ribs, punctured her lung and lacerated her liver but somehow she did. Twelve years on she has her sights set on riding for Australia at the Paralympics.

Para dressage competitor Brooke Neville with her competition horse Checklist D affectionately known as Saxon. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Brooke Neville will never truly recover from the high speed crash that should have killed her.

Fortunately, every time she rides a horse her life feels a little brighter and now she has her sights set on representing Australia at the Paralympics.

In 2012, less than 10 minutes from home on a stretch of highway she had travelled nearly every day for years, Brooke was in a high impact single vehicle crash.

It is believed Brooke’s car pitch poled eight times – missing power poles and trees before coming to a stop.

“Apparently a passer-by saw my car and called the ambulance and whoever that person was they are a true angel,” Brooke said.

“Physical exhaustion, I lost control of the car. I don’t remember anything after losing control of the steering wheel.

“I woke up from a coma (in hospital).

“Apparently I was awake when the first responders arrived.

“I was able to tell them my name and a few other details. I think your memory blocks out the really, really traumatic stuff.

“My right leg was hanging out of the window of the car.

“(Before her crash) I didn’t know what a degloving injury was but it’s when you tear all the skin off a limb … basically from above my left knee was completely degloved and I had to be cut out of the wreck.”

Brooke Neville's list of injuries and operations was extensive after her 2012 car crash.

In the aftermath of Brooke’s crash her injuries were so extensive and life threatening that two fractures in her spine were not discovered for several weeks.

She had a punctured lung and lacerated liver, segmented kidney, broken legs, ribs and scapula.

When she woke up in hospital she was “stapled back together” with a stoma and colostomy bag – the result of a severe type of bowel and colon injury known as a transection.

“I don’t know how I survived. I shouldn’t have,” Brooke said.

“Every single doctor that has seen my list of injuries does a double take and says ‘you know how lucky you are to be here’ and we say yes and we really do understand that to be the case.

“I find it hard to look at my list of injuries and say that I am still here and can still be a mother, wife, a daughter and sister.”

In the years after that fateful day Brooke has been to “hell and back” battling chronic pain, depression, PTSD and in 2018 was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

She has had 30 surgeries, had to learn how to walk and has lost count of how many physiotherapy sessions she has undergone.

The death of the Neville family’s horse Dickins, aged 31, in 2021 only heightened Brooke’s grief.

Brooke grew up around horses, riding and competing into her early 20s.

Para dressage competitor Brooke Neville with her husband Chris Neville. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Knowing how influential Dickins was in Brooke’s recovery and positive mental health, her husband Chris took action.

Taking out a small loan he bought an eight-year-old warmblood gelding they named Marlowe.

Marlowe’s arrival in 2021 and Andrew Hoy’s performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games in that year proved to be a turning point in Brooke’s life.

“I really really fought hard I’ve had over 30 surgeries, been to hell and back with my health,” Brooke said.

“I didn’t think I would ride again but I was lucky to believe that I could one day make a recovery well enough to be even out in the paddock and pat them (horses) be around them.

“I really started riding again in 2021 so during Covid, a lot of things were happening in the world.

“The Olympics and watching Andrew Hoy was really inspiring, my kids had finished school and it just felt right.

“I knew my health was at a point where I was strong enough to be able to handle a horse.

“He (Chris) would say he got his wife back and she got her life back,” Brooke said of the decision to buy Marlowe.

“He has been marvellous about everything, nothing has ever been too much for him. He saddles my horses, parades them for the judges – it’s amazing he’s so wonderful and supportive.”

A year after first getting Marlowe, Brooke was competing in Dressage around the Darling Downs and by 2023, after assessments by Equestrian Australia and Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body of equestrian sports, she received a Grade 4 Profile 15 ‘para rider’ classification.

In Para Dressage there are five grades with Grade 1 being the most impaired.

Within each Grade riders must meet one or more of 48 profiles which describe specific impairments – Brooke is classified as a Grade 4 Profile 15 rider.

“That moment (her classification) led to us being able to compete at some very high level events over the past 12 months,” Brooke said.

“We have been able to ride and compete at all of the Paralympic qualifiers in the lead up to Paris.

“I was never aiming for (Australia) selection in my first year of classification, there are two levels, Intermediate and the Olympic standard Grand Prix.

“For the first 12 months I elected to compete only in Intermediate but by riding in all these events I was able to meet the most amazing community – including all four women who represented Australia at Paris.

“And I was able to achieve some true success including winning my first ever rug at the national championships in Sydney, the first rug in my riding career which to win it at the national level was truly special.”

Inspired both those around her Brooke, who is also the 2024 Queensland State Para Champion, now hopes to represent Australia on the Paralympic stage and she is currently waiting to see if she will be named in one of three Australia High Performance Squads.

Para dressage competitor Brooke Neville working with Off the Track thoroughbred George and new horse lovers Man (in the saddle), Jacob (left) and Josh. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Despite all the accolades and achievements Brooke’s biggest life change is set to happen away from the competition arena.

After a long and storied career in law Brooke wants to trade office life for stables and the horse arena.

Having completed a five-day Horse Safety Australia course, Brooke now plans to open an equine therapy clinic.

With three horses ‘rescued’ through the Off The Track program Brooke wants to help people with disabilities and those suffering from emotional trauma.

“We have a number of quiet horses, beautiful quiet horses,” Brooke said.

“I’m around them every day and they know there is something not quite right with me … the way I move the speed I move around them.

“I feel like I can make some difference to offer an experience to people who don’t have an opportunity to interact with horses.

“It might be an one off but if you want to play with, pat or hug a horse disability or not it’s about providing experience I’m calling it Happy Valley Horses.

“If you want to be led around the arena, dress up my horse as a unicorn and get some photos or maybe it’s young kids who want a pony club experience.

“It’s about interacting with horses in a safe way.

“Seeing, brushing, smelling them, getting your hands dirty – there’s a measurable difference in people’s stress levels when they are around these beautiful animals.

“I want to provide people with that special unique experience because I believe it will help so much.”

Originally published as Para equestrian athlete Brooke Neville sets her sights on representing Australia