Shaw returns to the winner’s circle after life-threatening accident at The Meadows

Chris Shaw was an up-and-coming rider at The Meadows in late September 2021 when his career and life – as he knew it – changed suddenly.

Seconds after Shaw guided the trotter Willie The Filly toward the final turn at the North Strabane Township race track, the horse in front of him – Susy Finn – caught on a horseshoe and collapsed on the track with her driver, James Dodson.

Shaw and his horse had to jump over their opponents. Shaw was thrown from the sulky into the air and fell heavily on his arm on the race track.

His arm and his career lay destroyed on the 5/8-mile track.

Spectators, fellow drivers, coaches and those watching the race via simulcast services were horrified and feared the worst. Shaw had an open fracture of his upper arm and elbow. He also suffered a broken nose, some facial fractures, trauma, a couple of open fractures in his back and a contused lung.

“I couldn’t stop it,” Shaw said. “I knew it would hurt.”

Dodson said Susy Finn got her hind leg caught in the front shoe and immediately fell to the ground.

“I saw a blue streak go by,” Dodson said. “I jumped up and grabbed my horse and saw (Chris) lying on the track. I knew he was badly hurt.”

Missy Rothfuss, who was the trailblazer at The Meadows at the time, was able to catch Shaw’s horse, which had run away on the track. Ironically, Willie The Filly belonged to Rothfuss and her husband, James.

Race track announcer Jeff Zidek quickly switched from announcing the race to calling for an ambulance at the beginning of the turn where the accident occurred. He also informed drivers on the way to the finish line of a horse running loose on the race track and coming toward them.

There was chaos and concern. Shaw lay there motionless.

Brady Brown, Shaw’s good friend and brother-in-law, ran from the paddock onto the track.

“I was hoping he was OK, he was alive,” Brown said. “I’ve never seen a (driver) hit the ground face-first as hard as Chris did.”

Shaw’s wife, Ashley Brown – freshly discharged from the operating room at nearby Canonsburg Hospital, where she was assisting as a nurse – pulled out her cellphone and noticed several calls and texts. They alarmed and worried her.

Her husband Chris, 38, was involved in an accident. He was injured and lying on the road.

“I just sat down at the desk and pulled out my phone,” Ashley Brown said. “I see all these missed calls. I’m thinking, ‘Is it Brady or Chris?’ I froze. The messages said Chris was awake.

“I left work and when I got to The Meadows, I ran to the turnoff,” Brown said. “I got there and saw his humerus sticking out. His nose was on the side of his face, which was mutilated. The helmet saved his life. Then we learned there was so much more.”

Shaw was taken to a trauma center in Pittsburgh. In addition to the open fracture of his elbow, Shaw was diagnosed with a dissection of his carotid artery, which also contained a blood clot, and a contused lung.

“There was a clot in the carotid artery and that was the first concern,” Brown said. “As a nurse, I probably knew too much. I knew the consequences.”

A long way

The accident changed the everyday lives of Shaw, Ashley and their daughter Alexa.

Chris’ recovery and rehab forced him and Ashley, 34, to switch roles. He spent a lot more time at home with Alexa. Ashley kept her job as a nurse and continued to care for and train horses at Brown Stable in The Meadows.

“The only good thing about all of this is that Chris has been able to spend so much more time with our daughter,” Ashley said. “It’s been good for all of us and good for Alexa and Chris.”

“She’s interested in sports and school and she needs to get somewhere.”

A few weeks ago (May 16), more than two and a half years after the accident, Chris Shaw made a triumphant return to the winner’s circle at The Meadows.

He was catch driver for Battin Athousand and owner/trainer Roger Hammer – a family friend – in the conditioned trot.

It was Shaw’s first win since September 28, 2021, two races before the accident.

He never doubted that he would come back and drive. He never let his desire be taken away from him.

Others were not so sure.

“When you consider everything that happened and everything that went wrong, you have to wonder,” said Missy Rothfuss. “Chris had such an incredible will. He’s a tough guy. At the moment of the accident…”

“It was hard to see him deal with everything he had to go through, being in the ICU. I know he’s tough as steel. As hard as it was, in the back of my mind I knew he was going to work physically and mentally to be able to drive again. I knew it was going to take a lot of time.”

family and friends

Chris and Ashley, both from Washington, are touched when they talk about the help they have been offered by friends and family. The kindness and compassion have been overwhelming.

“I didn’t see my daughter for about 30 days and it took a few days to understand all of my injuries,” said Shaw, who grew up in Lebanon, Pa. “I had to learn to use my left hand and arm to eat and do everyday things. They (the doctors) told me I would probably never ride (horses) again.”

Ashley, who is from Slippery Rock, said Shaw never complained or lamented his fate. “I went through a lot of what-ifs and would have traded places with him if I could.”

“He had to go through 10 to 12 surgeries. On April 23, they put plates and screws in his elbow and basically fused it – to give him mobility back. Not long after that, the (doctor) tried to manipulate the arm and the elbow just shattered. He needed a total elbow replacement.

“Our friends have been great throughout. Sometimes it’s been tough. Money has been tight. But our friends have organized some fundraisers for Chris. We want to do it ourselves and not ask for handouts.”

Chris did not let his chance pass and continued to work on being able to drive again.

“I didn’t want to stop him from doing something he loves,” Ashley said. “I would have been happy if he could have gotten to go jogging or train a horse. It’s amazing that he does what he does considering everything he’s been through.”

“I will always be nervous when he drives. But it’s not because of his ability or because he’s not capable.”

Shaw said the way family and friends have rallied around him and his family simply leaves him speechless.

“It’s humbling,” he said, fighting back tears, “to know that it’s so important to so many people.”

Shaw’s courageous fight is admired by many at the racetrack.

His first victory sparked excitement and joy.

“I’ve known Chris for a long time from the trade fair,” said Zidek. “The fact that he won… that was wonderful to see. I’m happy for Chris.”

“He was just gaining drive and respect here when the accident happened.”

Missy Rothfuss said: “I looked at his arm about 10 months after the accident and it looked dead. But he is motivated. There is hardly anyone who doesn’t like Chris and Ashley. Chris is just a good person.”