Obituary-Linda Gemeinhardt
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Linda Gemeinhardt loved all things horses.
The horse community lost a great soul with the recent passing of New Jersey resident, Linda Gemeinhardt. She died due to complications from cancer and was only 51.
Those who knew her well will remember her radiant spirit and love of the horse. For the past several years Gemeinhardt has been a part of Doreen Weston’s Smoke Hollow Farm family.
Gemeinhardt had been around horses for most of her life, having attended Stephens College before transferring to the University of Kentucky where she also developed a great love for their sports teams. During the summers there she worked for Tom Galbreath’s Castle Hill Farm under the direction of Dave Becker and Don Judd. After that she spent some time at Abbott Wilson’s before going to the Klein family’s Cedar Lake Farm and working with trainers like Frank McConnell, Bill Field and Ruth Gimpel.
At Dr. Covino’s Iron Horse Farm, Gemeinhardt worked with both Leonard Fishbach and Randy Harper. Eventually she settled at the Gearhart family’s stables in New Jersey with Ronnie Graham and then moved to Smoke Hollow when Graham did.
Known for the immaculate care she took of her horses, Gemeinhardt cared for such champions as CH The Midnight Mist, CH Strike Command, CH Firefly’s Fancy, CH Guy’s Gal, CH Springtime Santana, Reserve World’s Champion Kentucky Wildcat, Chicago Talent, Reserve World’s Champion The Haitian Prince, Reserve World’s Champion CH Foxfire’s Kashmir and world’s champions CH Mr. Snuffleupagus, CH Blue Chipper, CH Nahema, TNT, Protector, CH Shamanic Dream, and World’s Grand Champions CH Onion and Five O’Clock.
In addition to horses, Gemeinhardt was also well known in the show dog world where she was a respected handler and steward.
According to her friends, Gemeinhardt had a heart as big as the horses she cared for. There isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for anyone, especially when it came to working with horses or the ASHA of New Jersey.
“Linda was the one who first brought the idea up to the New Jersey Saddlebred Horse Association (NJSHA) to give money to save a Saddlebred that would be going to slaughter. It was this idea that had Pat [Johnson] and I checking into the sale to see what we could do. Because of Linda, North Wind and NJSHA teamed up and started buying Saddlebreds at New Holland,” said Nealia McCracken.
Her mother, Marie Gemeinhardt of Palmerton, Penn., survives Gemeinhardt.
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