Larry Bailey, 74
Larry M. Bailey, 74, of Loris, South Carolina, took on the next great adventure on Wednesday, Jun 12, 2024. He was born Sept. 2, 1949, in Kalispell, the son of Lawrence and Ferol Bailey.
Larry was a major part of developing the horse community in Montana. He trained at a dressage stable built by Kurt Maxey and run by Roy Larson on the east side of Kalispell, eventually taking over the stable in 1970. He trained national top ten champion horses (Appaloosas, Morgans, Quarter Horses, Saddlebreds and Arabians) and riders (hunt seat, saddle seat, stock seat, hunter pleasure, saddle seat pleasure, western pleasure, reining, hunter over fences and open jumper) at Bailey Stables for 15 years, reaching over 8000 students per year through the stable and clinics. He established The Flathead Valley Community College Horsemanship Program, and the Missoula Technical Center Horsemanship Program. He co-authored the Montana State 4H Horsemanship Program.
He eventually focused on Arabians, his incredibly effective training, teaching, marketing, and breeding skills helping him to befriend and co-lecturer with the most prominent breeders and experts on Arabian horses in the world. In 1991 he created and became the Director of the Equestrian Educational Institute. A curriculum was designed to incorporate the "languages" of the best schools of thought; from the Classical Riding School of Vienna to the pioneers of horsemanship in America, these schools were combined into the EEI program to produce the highest quality horse craftsmen with one common language to ensure their quality standards can consistently be taught to others. The structure of the program uses lectures, videos, computers, workbooks, hands on labs, practical application, literature and human resources.
Since 2004 he had been fighting multiple myeloma (cancer of the blood), while still coaching and providing his wealth of experience to improve both the horses and riders of the world.
He passed surrounded by close friends and will be dearly missed.
He is survived by Tracy Antonelli, his best friend, and horse partner for the last 39 years, Loris.
No services are planned, but in lieu of flowers, and in remembrance of Larry’s life, charitable donations can be made to Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation at the website www.rmef.org.