It seems like yesterday, but the two-year anniversary of Woodbine Racetrack's accident-marred final of the 2009 Ontario Boys Pacing Series is less than one month away. Robert Shepherd, the driver which received the worst of the frightening scene
, this week said "it [ended] up that the doctor saved my life."
In an interview with Western Fair Raceway's Greg Blanchard before the track's Wednesday, February 9 card, the 30-year-old horseman explained that the day after being taken to Etobicoke's William Osler Health Centre he was awaiting surgery to help repair a broken bone in his leg. That is when a doctor decided to postpone the surgery, which, in retrospect, was a life-saving decision.
"I was supposed to go into surgery. I was a little upset, too, because the doctor came and said 'I don't like your blood work, so I'm not going to (allow you to go forward with the surgery),'" Shepherd explained. "(Me), the typical harness guy, I think 'now I'm going to miss more time.' It [ended] up that the doctor saved my life. If he would've put me under that day I would've never woken up. I had an embo-life (sic) float into my lung and for three days after that I was unconscious, on life support."
"It was a setback, and I think when I came back I came back maybe a little too early -- like a typical horseman. I was maybe a little more cautious than what I normally was, but it starting to pick up again. It's a time thing. I keep feeling better and better every day and my leg feels great right now -- it's coming again."
Even though he was still recuperating from his serious injuries, Shepherd went on to post solid numbers in the bike last season. From 2,360 starts Shepherd recorded 255 wins and a total of 878 on-the-board finishes. Overall, he steered horses to $2.2 million in purses on the campaign.