Grant E. "Gene" Riegle (June 3, 1928 – October 17, 2011) was an American

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia ...

driver and trainer. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1992. Riegle started his harness racing career in 1950. His father, Roy Riegle, was also a driver and trainer. Roy Riegle and his wife were killed in a 1957 auto accident. At the 1972 Little Brown Jug, Riegle drove Jay Time who was the odds on favorite before the race. Jay Time, who finished in a dead heat with

Strike Out In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safel ...

one month earlier in the

Adios Pace The Adios Pace is a horse race for three-year-old Standardbred colts and geldings run annually since 1967 at a distance of one mile at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, Meadows Racetrack in North Strabane Township, Pennsylvania. Historical race ev ...

, was scratched after the first heat due to a high temperature. During the 1981 Woodrow Wilson Pace held at Meadowlands Raceway, Riegle was thrown from his

sulky A sulky is a lightweight cart used for harness racing. It has two wheels and a small seat for only a single driver. The modern racing sulky has shafts that extend in a continuous bow behind the driver's seat, with wire-spoked "bike" wheels ...

while driving Andre Hanover in the process of trying to avoid a fallen horse. He suffered minor abrasions. 1992 Harness racing horse of the year, Artsplace, was trained by Riegle. In 1990, Riegle along with Bruce Nickells, were awarded the Glen Garnsey Trophy as United States Trainer of the Year. Riegle trained 1993 Little Brown Jug winner, Life Sign. Riegle died at his

Greenville, Ohio Greenville is a city in Darke County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is near Ohio's western edge, about northwest of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton. The population was 12,786 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Indigenous ...

home on October 17, 2011.Gene Riegle, 83, Hall of Fame driver/trainer, dies
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References

External links

Gene Riegle at Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riegle, Gene 1928 births 2011 deaths American harness racers Dan Patch Award winners Sportspeople from Greenville, Ohio United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductees