Diana Maria Hyde

Diana Maria Hyde Diana was born October 22, 1943 in Palo Alto, California to parents Richard E. Hyde and Virginia M. Hudson Hyde. She passed away on April 10, 2019, at the age of 75 surrounded by family, friends, and her beloved animals. Born into one of the oldest farming families in California, Diana spent her childhood in Woodside, with visits to her family’s ranches in Visalia and Big Sur. Competing in every equestrian event her parents would allow, Diana found her passion early on in her love of horses and covered her room with blue ribbons from virtually every competition, including jumping and dressage. It was perhaps, though, on her trips to the family cattle ranches that she tasted the freedom and adventure that would lead her through life. After studying on the East Coast for high school, she traveled Europe, North Africa and finally found her way to Colorado where she started her ranching life and a family. Diana had discovered the West and freedom. She found passion in Western riding and Quarter Horses. As the boys reached middle and high school age, she moved the family to Santa Fe, New Mexico where she first encountered the world of gated horses (the Cadillac of riding). This inevitably led her to Missouri – the headquarters of the Missouri Fox Trotter. She put her heart and soul into breeding, training, showing, and developing horses. Many were highly sought after for their good-natured temperaments and high level of training. In addition, her horses were so well looked after that most of us looked upon with envy knowing the amount of love, care and respect Diana devoted to the animals. Not only did she have a love for horses, but all animals. Her farm in Missouri could be found with cats, German shepherds, and occasionally cows. When not busy with the horses, Diana was a passionate gardener, a world class entertainer, a magnificent cook, and player of all types of games. She was also an avid traveler, even braving a trip to Europe alone with her two sons who were in elementary school at the time. She traveled by plane in her youth to see the world, and by truck and horse trailer later in life to see friends and ride through many parts of the country. She ultimately came back to her spiritual home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, always loving the Southwest. Diana was a true horse whisperer and the original cowgirl. Diana is survived by her sons Christopher and Ryan Bailey, her grand daughter Kora Bailey, and her two brothers Richard and Lawrence Hyde. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to: The Horse Shelter 821 West San Mateo Road Unit A Santa Fe, NM 87505 505-471-6179 Thehorseshelter.org