Gladys, Va. – Jan. 3, 2026 – Carole Marie Gerrity, a trailblazer in collegiate equestrian sports and dedicated educator, passed away peacefully on December 30, 2025, at the age of 87.
Gerrity made history in 1973 when she founded the Molloy University (Rockville Centre, New York) Equestrian Team, launching a remarkable coaching career that would span nearly five decades. She may hold the distinction of having the longest tenure of any Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) coach and was honored as the recipient of the organization's first-ever Regional Coach of the Year Award in 1980. She remained active with the program until her retirement in 2020. Gerrity also served on the IHSA board of directors.
"Carol Garrity was a legend in Long Island in the IHSA," said IHSA Founder Bob Cacchione. "She showed up at a recent horse show with 50 years' worth of programs from Long Island IHSA shows to give to Campus Equestrian's Steve Maxwell. Carole was so genuine and so real, and she cared about all the riders from walk-trot to the open–every single level. She not only cared about her own team at Malloy University, but also the whole region. Carole never missed an IHSA show in Long Island. No matter the weather she was there."
While an IHSA board member, Gerrity was instrumental in spearheading the extension of IHSA member eligibility after active military duty.
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on July 28, 1938, Gerrity's passion for horses began during her childhood in Brooklyn and flourished when she moved to Long Island. Beyond her groundbreaking work in collegiate equestrian sports, she was a lifelong educator who served as a professor of education at Molloy University, where she earned numerous awards, honors and accolades throughout her distinguished career.
Gerrity's legacy lives on in the many people she impacted, who will never forget her sage advice, infectious humor, and fierce passion.
She is survived by nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.