For decades, Louise "WeeZee" Miner was the spunky woman who greeted riders and passed out the ribbons in her flamboyant Crayola-colored outfits and flowing chiffon headscarves at the Minnesota State Fair Horse Show and countless equine events across the state.
"She was the diva of the horse show ring," longtime friend Alice Lear said. "She described herself as a little bit Hollywood, a little bit quality trash."
Miner, who friends say was fiercely private, died July 15 at her longtime home in Bloomington at an undisclosed age after an undisclosed illness.
"WeeZee is ageless," Miner once told a reporter.
Aside from being an accomplished rider and horse trainer, Miner was a prolific self-taught writer, artist and seamstress who was able to navigate the intensity of a dusty show ring even though she was legally blind.
Miner's love for animals, especially horses, started early. She grew up in Superior, Wis., not far from a horse barn. "And she went out there as soon as she could walk," said her sister, Gloria Kervina.
For most of her life she lived independently in Bloomington, most recently with her lap dogs, who often were in a stroller that Miner pushed around the neighborhood.
In the early 1970s Miner had her own horse, a Morgan, but devoted most of her time to other people and their horses. She was seldom paid, and she loved most breeds and riding styles.
