Michele Desiano and Art Baker Remembered
Friday, September 30, 2005
Michele Desiano and husband Art Baker were killed in a head-on collision on Highway 49 near the city of Grass Valley, California in late July. Friends in Northern California and throughout the Morgan community were shocked by the news.
Both Michele and Art had a love for animals. Both grew up with horses. Michele was horse crazy as a little girl and grew up to be a horse crazy grown up. She lived horses every day of her life. She was a very accomplished horse woman. She was very competitive in the show arena in the western and hunt divisions. One of her better known mounts was MLF Diamond Lil. She and Lil were a top team on the West coast in the western ladies and amateur divisions. Her husband Art had a special relationship with a Morgan gelding named Baccarat's Crown Royal. He and Art were a team in the pleasure driving classes. Michele also used Royal as her NATRC horse. Both won many prestigious awards in the NATRC competitions.
Both Art and Michele got involved in Morgans about 20 years ago. Having been well accomplished in other breeds they were later attracted to Morgans. They bought one and like many of us, one was not enough. Their collection grew and their Morgans became a part of their family.
Michele and Art will be greatly missed by their friends. They loved to entertain and Michele was a fantastic cook........she used to say, "I am Italian....cooking is what I do, now have a second helping!" Their home was open to many a young girl who dreamed of horses as Michele did as a young child. She helped raise a lot of horse crazy girls, giving them instruction and sharing her well earned knowledge.
A trophy is being dedicated to both Art and Michele and will be presented to a special youth each year at the Mother Lode Morgan Horse Show. The trophy will incorporate a Morgan horse, dog and child.....a fine tribute to two wonderful people.
|