Nebraska owner Leifeld dies at 61

Donald Leifeld, a prominent Nebraska-based owner, died Saturday at Howard County Medical Center in St. Paul, Neb. He was 61.

A native of Grand Island, Neb., Leifeld ran his own construction company, Don Liefeld Construction, as well as the transport company D&L Trucking Co.
Leifeld operated a small stable under the name D and L Trucking Inc., competing in both Southern California and the Great Plains. He owned two winners of the Bosselman/Gus Fonner Handicap, the marquee race at his hometown track of Fonner Park – Sahara King in 1996 and Windy’s Halo in 1997.

While those two stakes winners were saddled by Thomas Garry, Leifeld also trained a handful of runners, winning 13 of 98 starts for earnings of $293,486. His best runner was Death Trappe, the winner of the 2004 Ogataul Handicap at Fonner Park.

Leifeld is survived by his father, Lawrence Leifeld, and sisters and brothers-in-law, Joan and Bob Buffington, Jannan and Bill McLellan, and Jude and Bill Lammert.

Visitation will be held Friday at Curran Funeral Chapel in Grand Island from 4-7 p.m. Central, with a vigil service at 7 p.m. Burial will take place Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Grand Island Central Catholic or St. Mary’s Cathedral.