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86 SIDELINES AUGUST 2011 FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE

Suzanne and Cooper, her comeback miracle

Photo by Sue Stickle.

D R E S S A G E

By Jan Westmark-Allan

Many horse owners, at one time or another, experience lameness issues with their horses. The heartache for the owner can be devastating, especially if a horse is at the peak of their career. Atlanta-based Suzanne Dansby-Bollman knows all too well the feeling of heartache, and the long and often frustrating journey to recovery. She also knows a thing or two about miracles.

Suzanne and Cooper, her 18.3 hand Holsteiner gelding, were on top of the world four years ago when Cooper won the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Wellington CDI. In March of 2007, however, Cooper came up lame with a suspensory injury that required stem cell replacement therapy. “All along, from the time he was injured, I felt as if we had unfnished business left to take care of. Cooper was in his prime, and we were in the prime of our career together. It came to such an abrupt end,” Suzanne said.

Against all odds, the giant of a horse has made an amazing comeback. Now 19, Cooper has not only returned to the ring but is back where he left off, competing on the Grand Prix circuit. While Suzanne admits the journey has been an exhausting one, she is elated that she has been given another chance with Cooper “This time I feel differently and am trying not to pressure myself with any expectations, but just enjoy the ride. Before his injury, I was uptight and worried about whether I would qualify for this or that. Now I just want to enjoy my horse friends I missed all of these years, the shows and my horse. Every opportunity with Cooper is a gift. We have had a lot of success over the years, but Cooper’s biggest success to date is his return to soundness after so many years, and as a 19-year-old!”

Sidelines: What took Cooper out of competition?

SDB: Cooper came up lame in his left hind in late March of 2007. We found it was his suspensory, which required rest and fnally stem cell replacement therapy. The surgery took place under the careful and steady hand of Dr. Bob Brusie at Palm Beach Equine Clinic. He had to extract the stem cells from Cooper’s sternum, so Cooper had to be knocked out and on the table. He came out with fying colors and although he recovered well, it took a long time and a great deal of patience for him to recuperate.

Sidelines: How did you handle Cooper’s road to recovery?

SDB: Over the past four years Cooper suffered numerous setbacks. I was just about ready to give up when my vet, Dr. Bob Grisel, insisted on giving Cooper another chance. Last April, Dr. Grisel gave me a prescription for a 60-day plan for returning back to work. After a couple of months, I was riding him in serpentines and big 20-meter circles and then began doing some easy transitions that turned into bigger transitions. By September, we were ready to do some third-level movements and transitions, which developed as time went on. We did our frst Grand Prix level work in November during a clinic with Conrad Schumacher. Mr.

Five Questions for

Suzanne Dansby-Bollman

(About Cooper, the Comeback Kid)

Schumacher gave me his approval and encouraged me to show Cooper if I wanted to, so off to Florida we went. Our frst return to the ring was in February, and we earned a whopping score of 69+%. What a comeback! We now joke that his nickname should be “Comeback Coop!”

Sidelines: What is so special about Cooper?

SDB: Cooper draws a crowd everywhere he goes, not only because of his presence but also because of his personality. He is a “gentle giant” in the stable, and sensitive and hot in the arena. Whenever people come up to him and begin asking questions in

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