Horse owner Bert Vieira’s heartbreak in the lead up to The Everest
EVERY day racehorse owner Bert Vieira sits beside his wife Gai’s hospital bed and holds her hand as she lies in a coma after being injured in a horrific car accident. While he rarely leaves her bedside, Bert said he is “going to try” and attend The Everest to see his horse Trapeze Artist compete.
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EVERY day racehorse owner Bert Vieira sits beside his wife Gai’s hospital bed and holds her hand.
Sometimes he places his phone up to her ear and replays a race of their horse Trapeze Artist winning.
Gai doesn’t respond.
Gai has been in a coma since September 5 following a horrific car accident in Cronulla.
A police car involved in a high-speed chase — pursuing a driver for using a mobile phone — struck her vehicle at 124km/h.
Gai sustained a broken pelvis, elbow, ankle, ribs, a punctured lung and bleeding on her brain.
Bert is sitting beside Gai’s hospital bed when I ask what goes through his head daily.
Bert breathes out a sad sigh and then is silent for a handful of seconds.
“What’s going through my head? Let me take a breath,” Vieira said, composing himself.
“Why did it happen to her? The most beautiful, the most loving personality. Sometimes I think, I have a saying, and Gai has a saying: ‘things happen to us for a reason’.”
That reason is clear now to Bert — that reason is for “things” to be changed.
If there is anything good to come from this horrific period for the Vieira family is that this doesn’t happen to anyone else’s loved one.
“It’s got to stop — for my wife’s sake — for the next wife, husband, or child who could be the next innocent victim of a police high speed chase,” Bert said.
“Why don’t they do what every other state has worked hard already on — and stop police chases for minor matters? Two wrongs do not make a right, using a mobile phone is wrong but speeding kills. Speed kills.
“I don’t mind them chasing criminals, murderers, terrorists, but still you must have your lights and your siren on.
“Please everyone, show up at court on November 12 and say we don’t want these police pursuits for minor offences to happen anymore.”
The senior constable has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm. The Vieira family are taking civil action against the NSW Police.
Bert still has so many questions.
“Why were there no skid marks on the ground? Why were the police car’s lights and siren not on? Why were the lights on after the accident? Why was the officer not blood tested for alcohol and drugs? Why did it take 15 days for the police to admit the lights and sirens weren’t on? Why would it take 22 days to charge the officer — when it would take a citizen to be charged within a day?”
HORSE RACING
THE one thing that has carried Bert through the most terrible period of his life are his horses. He no longer goes into work regularly and his son Trent is running their business day to day. Instead he sits with Gai and from time to time rings his trainers to get the latest on his horses and foals.
The one he asks about the most is Trapeze Artist, a brilliant four-year-old, a big-race performer, who will run in the Everest on Saturday.
“If I didn’t have my horses. I would be lost,” Bert said.
“Without the horses, I don’t know, I know you’ve got to have something and I don’t have anything else — all my life has been with her.”
The irony is that Gai wanted him to sell Trapeze Artist when a huge money offers of $40-50 million came in from the nation’s leading studs.
“When I didn’t sell the horse, she wasn’t happy,” Bert said, with a small chuckle.
“Gai said, ‘Are you serious, you are not selling’?”
He said Gai let her keep him because she truly understood how much he loved this horse and there was, of course, The Everest, the world’s richest turf race.
“I said to Gai; ‘no, I want to run The Everest, I’ve waited a long time, 10 years in this game’,” Bert said.
“He’s a magical horse.”
That he is. Trapeze Artist may be the one and only thing that will draw Bert away from his wife’s hospital bedside for an extended amount of time.
Since the accident, Bert has avoided his usual shops or petrol station, as it’s been too emotionally painful.
“I go to different places because I can’t deal with people asking; how is she?” Bert, said, holding back tears.
But as of this week, Bert has decided he is “going to try” and attend Royal Randwick for The Everest.
His good friend and trainer of Trapeze Artist Gerald Ryan being at the race could lift his spirits, his children think it might be good for him.
“Everybody is asking, are you going to show up to The Everest?” Bert said.
“The answer is; I am going to try.”
“I have got to do this. I’ve got to try. My family has asked me to. I am going to try and do the best I can.”
KEEPING VIGIL
ON every other day, Bert and children Cassie and Trent gather in her hospital room reading to Gai messages from friends old and new, messages of hope, prayers and words willing her to get better. They hope the words will help her recovery.
Gai has shown tiny signs of hope. Her toes wiggle slightly when a video has been played of her grandson Jordan, 6, and Tyler, now 3.
Gai’s been breathing by herself for the last seven days and Bert is praying for more improvements.
“I know she will wake up,” Bert said.
“I have faith.”