W. Gary Baker, a widely respected horseman involved in training, breeding and showing as well as a highly-regarded hunter/jumper horse show manager, and judge, who also was involved in steeplechase racing, cattle and dog breeding businesses, passed away on Monday, January 27, 2014. "Gary" was 72 years of age.

A long-time resident of Middleburg, Virginia, Gary once said, "One of the most important things in my life are the relationships I've formed over the years. Thanks to the horses, dogs and cattle, I have formed lifelong friends. I don't have a family per se, but my friends through the 'animals; have become my family."

For many years, Gary worked, managed and showed on the equestrian hunter/jumper circuit with legendary horsepersons – George Morris (Hunterdon, Inc. in Hunterdon, New Jersey); the late and well known horsewoman Sallie Sexton of Granville, Ohio; and Mrs. A.C. Randolph at her Salem Farm in Upperville, Virginia.

Over the past four (4) decades, Gary bred eight (8) horses that won National Honors with AHSA/USEF Horse of the Year titles including: Royal Secret, Gala, Bank Roll, Midnight Tango, Night Music, Obey, Innisfree (later named Street Wise) and Rosecroft Wise Guy.

Gary's illustrious career was capped off with the ultimate honor of receiving the United States Equestrian Federation's (USEF) Pegasus Medal of Honor in 2006, awarded to individuals who have exhibited outstanding service to the world of horse sports.

He was also inducted into the Maryland Horse Show Association (MHSA) and Virginia Horse Show Association (VHSA) Halls of Fame for long-time and exemplary terms of service.

President of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA), William Moroney stated, "Gary will be missed by all of us. He will be remembered not only for his passion for the hunter/jumper sport, but for his passion for equestrian sports as a whole. Gary was a caring friend, mentor and guide to so many people throughout his life. Never afraid to speak his mind, with Gary you always knew he spoke from his heart, with great conviction and as a true horseman."

W. Gary Baker was born in Port Deposit, Maryland on August 20, 1942. His curiosity about horses evolved from the time he spent on his grandfather's nearby farm. Gary rode his grandfather's workhorses and helped to drag firewood and plow the fields.

His parents moved to Washington, D.C. when he was ten (10) and Gary transferred his horse to a local stable, Oak Knoll Farm, where he met Bobbie Gardner, a competitor at the local horse shows. Soon Gary began showing himself, along with one of his early acquaintances was the renowned hunter rider, Joe Darby.

Baker graduated from Oxon Hill High School in 1960 and went to Benjamin Franklin University in Washington, D.C., a two (2)-year college where he majored in accounting. He initially worked for the Perpetual Building Association savings and loan before moving to Jefferson Federal. He eventually left the banking business to focus on his horse interests.

Over the years, he used his early experience with Sally Sexton to become the manager of a number of top horse shows, including the Commonwealth Park shows (now HITS in Culpeper), the Loudoun Benefit Show in Middleburg, VA., and the Boumi Temple Mounted Patrol in Maryland. He also managed the Middleburg Fall Steeplechase Races.

For many years, Gary lived at Sunnybank Farm in Middleburg, VA where he worked for S.H.R. Fred, whose daughter, Dot Smithwick, ran the Loudoun show and eventually turned over its management to Gary.

Over the course of his career, Gary served on the Maryland Horse Show Association (MHSA) as a life-time honorary Director. Gary was on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Horse Shows Association (VHSA), served as Secretary Treasurer of the Virginia Steeplechase Association (VSA), was President of the National Hunter/Jumper Association, was U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Zone 3 Chairman; Chairman of the Virginia Fall Races and the Piedmont Point-to-Point (Va.), as well as a former member of the U.S. Equestrian Federation National Hunter Committee.

Gary also owned and trained steeplechase horses, including one of his all-time favorites, Quixotic (a horse he purchased), who ran third in the 1979 Colonial Cup (S.C.); Glyn, a timber horse who won five races his first year of racing with Baker's best friend, Don Yovanovich, in the irons; and Double Redouble, also a timber horse that Baker purchased from Jack Fisher. Ridden by a handful of other jockeys at Sunnybank Farm before pairing with Julie Gomena, the pair won practically every race they entered, including the Bowman Bowl in 2002, his final year of racing.

Asked once what contributions he felt he'd made to the horse industry, he said, "I feel that I've helped establish and maintain rules for a level playing field. I try to make sure that all sides of an issue are heard, and I'm not afraid to get up and argue over something if I find it worth arguing over."

Memorial contributions may be made to Seven Loaves, PO Box 1924, Middleburg, VA. 20118.