Memorial Services
Obituary from The Chronicle of the Horse
GAIL
ELIZABETH KNIERIEM
Gail Knieriem, a lifelong horsewoman,
died Sept. 27 after a lengthy battle
with cervical cancer. She was 57.
She was born in Atlanta GA, and later
moved to Greensboro, NC. She attended
Meredith College (NC), where she served
as president of the Student Government
and was a member of the Bathtub Ring,
a singing group that’s still
active today. After graduating in
1972, Ms. Knieriem lived in Raleigh,
NC.
Ms. Knieriem operated Nearby Farms in Chapel Hill, NC, where she had a lesson, training and sales business.
At one point in her career Ms. Knieriem worked for Don Stewart Stables. She also ran Equiventure Farms for Carol Hill Stone, and worked with Tony Albertson and Don Sheehan.
Ms. Knieriem received numerous awards during her life, including the Max Bonham Sportsmanship Trophy at the Duke Children’s Benefit Horse Show (NC), the Patricia May Memorial Horsewoman of the Year of the North Carolina Hunter/Jumper Association, and the Jim Breedlove Sportsmanship Award from the NCHJA, as well as winning the President’s Cup Trophy from the NCHJA Annual Horse Show.
An inspiration to anyone who met her, Ms. Knieriem always had a kind word about a horse and rider. Her talent was taking students with little or no confidence and turning them into winners.
Close
friend Parker Minchin said, “We
learned to ride, but we learned a
lot more about life and living that
life, while riding with Gail.”
Ms. Knieriem is survived by her mother,
Mary Constance Knieriem, sisters Debra
Knieriem and Martha (Marty) Knieriem,
and Marty's partner Sandra Dennis
and daughter Emma Rose.
Memorials contributions may be made to the American Hunter Jumper Foundation Emergency Relief Fund, P.O. Box 369, West Boylston, MA 01583.