PrintLegendary show jumper Frank Chapot is recovering well from brain surgery to repair a subdural hematoma on July 24.
Chapot, 80, jumped on six Olympic teams between 1956 and 1976 and served as U.S. show jumping chef d’equipe from 1980 to 2004. He’s also known as the breeder and trainer of the famed horse Gem Twist, who earned team and individual silver at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games with Greg Best aboard.
Chapot’s wife, Mary, noticed subtle symptoms, though a cause of the subdural hematoma is unknown. After Mary took Frank to the emergency room on July 24, doctors recommended immediate surgery to repair the hematoma, which was successful.
After 2 ½ weeks of rehabilitation at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in Chester, N.J., Frank moved to the Hunterdon Care Center in Flemington, N.J. “He’s still a bit unsteady on his feet, but he’s talking and eating and doing well. He’s much better,” Mary said. “In true Frank fashion, he gives the caregivers a bit of a merry-go-round. They tell him to stay in his chair and they’ll be right back, but the next minute, he’s gone!”
