Brave Bronte hopes to one day be back

Tasmanian teenager Bronte Miller knows she faces a long stint on the sidelines with rehabilitation, but the junior harness racing driver is determined to be back one day competing at the track.

“I’m staying positive and at the moment my rehab involves lots of physio,” she said.

Miller, 18, was one of five youngsters travelling home from a Hobart meeting in late January when their Ford Ranger left the road and crashed at Rowella, near Launceston.

Four horses in a float being towed by the vehicle died at the scene.

Miller suffered serious injuries in the accident, with the most severe being to her right eye. She said despite her sight in the eye being impacted, she’s determined to get back to doing everyday things.

“I’ve got no memory of the accident at all,” Miller said.

“I broke my left hip and dislocated my right one and they have caused me so much discomfort. My right foot and hand were also both broken,” she said.

“I don’t go out much at the moment.  I mostly stay home and watch the trots on television. I really do want to drive in races again and I guess that’s helping me get through my rehab.”

Also involved in the accident was promising Victorian driver Cody Crossland, who has been able to return home near Shepparton to continue his rehab. He suffered breaks to a scapula (shoulder blade), eye socket and ribs as well as a tear in his liver.

Others including Maree Wakefield is back at work, while Lily Blundstone has been back in hospital following a fall from a horse in the show ring. Blake Miller, brother of Bronte, has been able to get back to his studies.

Bronte and Blake Miller were always going to find their way into harness racing with their father Clayton a hobby trainer.

Bronte has been a shining light in Tasmanian racing since starting in the 2019-20 season, landing 66 wins and 181 placings.

Prior to the accident on the way home from the Hobart trots (Jan 29), the youngster had driven in all nine races, winning on Dapper (Rock N Roll Hanover).

A fortnight earlier she landed her first winning treble at Hobart (Jan 15), close on the heels of claiming her first Tasmanian Female Drivers’ Premiership in 2022.  Another highlight of her season was a win in the Cavalor Equicare Claiming Novice Drivers’ Series in Launceston in May.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink