by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — Trainer/driver Richard Silverman was in a wheelchair when the U.S. Trotting Association’s “Back to the Track” promotion took place in mid August of 2010, but he’s delighted to be back to the track as a participant now, if a little late.

USTA photo

Richard Silverman

Silverman was back to the races for opening weekend at the Meadowlands in New Jersey on January 7-8. He broke both ankles and sustained a severe concussion in a race at the Meadowlands on June 18. Silverman was the most seriously injured in a six-horse chain reaction accident, suffering seizures in the ambulance on the way to Hacksensack Medical Center.

He was transferred from there to Care One Rehabilitation Center in Wall, New Jersey and then spent the better part of the summer in a wheelchair at home in Wellington, Florida.

“It’s great to be back, believe me,” said Silverman, who is stabled at White Birch Farm near Imlaystown, New Jersey, with a seven-horse stable. His ankles have been serviceably sound, he says.

“They’re OK; I have my moments at different points of the day,” Silverman said. “So far, knock on wood, they’re not as bad as I thought they would be coming up from Florida. My left ankle is a little worse, but I’m walking pretty sound.

“I never walked 100 percent before,” he laughed. “I’m not bad. The braces are all gone. I’m keeping it up, going to the gym. Repeating what I did in physical therapy here on my own. I still can’t run, but that’ll come. I’m on the bicycle a lot.

“Brainwise, I’m 100 percent. The only thing is my agility isn’t 100 percent yet, as far as running, jumping, that kind of stuff.”

Silverman has become a big helmet believer through the experience.

“The truth of the matter is, before the accident, I was one of the trainers that actually did not wear a helmet,” he said. “Now that I’ve had the accident the helmet has been very much more apparent for Richie out there. Especially with the young horses, because you never know.”

He wears a helmet about 90 percent of the time and says the weather is the only thing that keeps him from attaining 100 percent helmet wearing.

“When the weather is so cold, some days, you can only put so much under your helmet to keep you warm,” he said. “It’s on the brutal, brutal cold days I have another hat that I wear. But on the days it’s not so brutal, I wear the helmet all the time.

“It’s different at night (a racing night) because you’re only out there a certain amount of time. In the morning you can be jogging a horse for 30 minutes and then come in and grab another one. So you’re out there for a lot longer than when racing at night.”

Silverman says he hasn’t lost the nerve sometimes needed to thread a horse through a tight spot.

“I feel comfortable out there, thank God,” he said.

Nothing imparts a sense of optimism quite like having some promising youngsters in the barn, so Silverman is looking forward to spring for more than one reason.

“I have a homebred Western Ideal out of Glowing Report, her first foal, a 2-year-old (named Eight Ten Eom). He’s really showing some promise right now. As far as 3-year-olds, I have (Sweetheart runner-up) Ms Malicious coming back and we really have a nice barn. I have Urgent Action that will race through the series this winter.”