Gene Riegle- one of the all-time greats.

G'day all,

Yesterday saw the passing, at 83yrs of age, of an all-time great horseman in Gene Riegel.
He trained some absolutely outstanding horses over the years, many of whom then went on to siring and broodmare glory, duly leaving what will be long enduring marks on the breed.
These included two of the greatest sires of the past century in Western Hanover & Artsplace as well as Life Sign & the great racemares/broodmares Three Diamonds and Leah Almahurst.
It was around the same time Gene Riegel was arguably approaching the very top of his game that I first got myself a broodmare (the mid to late 1980's) and not long after that Artsplace came along, to be very closely followed by no less than Western Hanover.
I remember getting a highlights converted to VHS video of Western Hanover winning the 1992 Messenger with Bill Fahy in the bike. Whenever I needed a bit of a pick-up I used to put that tape on & especially so listen to the call..."and Bill Fahy steps on the peddle". It was wonderful stuff.
All these years later and we've got one of Western Hanover's great-grandsons here, running beside his dam...his sire also a grandson of Three Diamonds & we've got another of our mares that's in foal to a son of Artsplace.
Thanks for the part you played in all that, Mr. Riegle. Most appreciated.

I use his bit!

RIP.

http://www.pinkstons.com/media/0a/a2...a11c5913_m.jpg
Very useful piece of gear that.


Billy Haughton had something similar made,
http://www.jacksmfg.com/newimages/products/5039a.gif


...but I think the first one pictured there, Gene Riegel's Bit, is better.

Certainly one of the GREATS. I once had a large poster in my room as a boy with his horse Red Sails winning somewhere. I was always going to get a set of Riegle Colours made in my colours but never did. The amount of horses that Gene Riegle condtioned reads like a who's who in the history in harness racing.
RIP Mr Riegle.