Fallon Taylor

Fallon Racing Her Heart Out!Hans Watson - Flickr [Public Domain]It is said that "Cowgirls are God’s wildest angels. They have cowboy hats for halos, and horses for wings." Fallon Taylor is a barrel racer who qualified for the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) at the age of thirteen, and again and again in the years that followed. She even tried modeling in New York and acting in Los Angeles for a short time, but more than that, she is an inspiration to all young girls, whether they were raised on a farm or not. At the age of seven, she took an interest in barrel racing when she saw it air on television, and her parents took her to a rodeo for her birthday. They bought her a horse, and since then, she hasn't looked back. Even when she became critically injured, she fought to face her fears and get right back on her horse, as a cowgirl does; Fallon Taylor’s willpower and determination are what gives her heroic qualities.

Fallon Taylor is well known in the rodeo community, but if not by name, you might know her by the vibrant and eye-catching neon colours she adorns herself with every time she competes. Fallon Taylor never had any wish to blend in with the crowd. She was different, and she wanted people to know it. When she had an accident training one of her family's young horses, Fallon Taylor suffered from a fractured skull and broken back after she leapt from the saddle to save herself. Recovering from a broken back is a difficult thing, but recovering from the fear a fall can cause is an even harder task. The aftermath: she struggled to find the courage to get back on. Yet, what matters is that she did recover, when she met her current horse, Babyflo. “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway” is a quote that describes Taylor. All cowboys/girls have a similar saying, but Fallon actually lived the saying. She saddled up her horse, kept riding in rodeos, and fighting for a win.

One of Fallon and Babyflo’s fastest times was 16.35 seconds. Usually runs average around seventeen or eighteen seconds, so even milliseconds matter when you are competing, and this score was something to be proud of because not very many barrel racers will achieve that time in their career. She’s been rodeoing since she was nine and has won countless competitions, as well as qualified for the NFR seven times between 1995-1998 and 2013-2015. In 2014 she reached her goal, taking the win at the NFR for the first time in her career. I have gotten to watch her compete in the Calgary Stampede on television for so many years, and she has always been my bright spot (literally)! Bull Riding and Chuck Wagon Races are all fine and dandy, but nothing shows a woman’s spirit more than her guts and competitive actions. These speak as loudly as her glowing colours and unique patterns, which is what makes her my hero and role model.

I have always loved watching the barrel racing because it is the only sport in rodeoing where women get to shine. I have never considered competing myself, but as a farm girl, it always had a romantic air to it. Living life on the road, being given the privilege to be around some of the smartest animals in the world, and making money as you go but barely having anything left over after you have bought all your tackle was just the kind of exciting life I wanted as a child. I have changed my ways since then, but I will always maintain my admiration for all barrel racers. However, Fallon Taylor always stood out to me more than the others because of her unique personality and rough back story. Not many people can suffer a broken back and still walk after, much less ride. I loved that even though she faced huge obstacles, she overcame them, coming back stronger than before.

Normal people do extraordinary things every day, and Fallon is one of those people. She came from a loving family who knew nothing about horses but became passionate about them anyway. She was just a child like any other person, then suddenly people knew her name and were watching her on television. And finally, she experienced a tragic accident but showed it who was boss when she defeated every barrier that blocked her way. Fallon made herself stand out to send a message; fight, and keep on fighting because you can do it, as she did, and win even when you once thought that it would never happen ever again. She became my hero because I now know that no matter how much the cause seems lost, and no matter what that cause is, your belief in yourself can make all the difference, and you might just find yourself as someone else’s hero!