Fallon Taylor: An Equestrian Hero

Meet Fallon Taylor, she's a model, actress and barrel racer. Born July 18,1982 in Florida with parents who knew nothing about horses, Fallon Taylor is an inspiration to all riders of any and every discipline. She was inducted into the Women's Pro Rodeo Association in 1990 and qualified for the NFR at age 13 and again for the years in a row. When she was seventeen she left the world of horses to pursue modeling then acting, but her heart was in Texas with the country and Horses. So, she left modeling amd acting and went back to barrel racing...... then tragedy struck.

Fallon was loping on a 16.3 gelding when he slipped and went into a bucking fit. In her words he went "All Western on me", bucking and rearing without rhyme or reason. She says, "I picked a spot to get off, and tried to throw myself out of the saddle- terrible idea". Fallon hit her head HARD and fractured her skull in four places, not only that, but when she tried to dismount he kicked her and sent Taylor 12 feet in the air, she fractured her skull, eye socket and broke her C-2 vertebrae. Fallon was paralyzed for three days and it took her almost two years to recover. When she did she decided to get back into riding, but it was difficult and not very good, after ten years of constant practice, her riding is exceptional and she is one of the best barrel racers out there.

When Fallon got back into barrel racing she pushed the WPRA and NBHA to make it so riders needed to be at least 18 before being allowed to compete in barrel racing, and to also push for helmets. Whenever Fallon comes flying out of that chute on her mare, Flos Heiress aka BabyFlo she comes out with a helmet, not just any helmet, but a bedazzled helmet that matches her outfit. After her competition using a helmet for the first time,(it was a very patriotic helmet, pictured above), she took it off and held it up, hoping to encourage the youth to start using helmets and not feel ashamed or embarassed. Taylor promotes wearing helmets for all disciplines and competitions and riding, using her story and the fact that she almost died as encouragement to do so. With each outfit she has a helmet to match, and boy, does she look good.

More and more kids seem to be donning helmets now, the number is still small but riders like Fallon are making head way in the promotion of helmet wearing. Don't let peer pressure stop you from taking safety precautions, no matter what you do, safety should be first. None of my Southern family wears helmets when riding, shoot, my mother never wore a helmet when she galloped across fields with cousins while growing up. I've always been pushed by riding instructors and mentors to wear a helmet when riding and some have encouraged me to wear a helmet when in the pasture with horses. I have only ever ridden without a helmet twice, once in Texas and once on a pony while trotting in an enclosed pasture, other than those two brief times I've always work helmets.

Fallon Taylor nearly died, but it had nothing to do with whether she wore a helmet or not. I promise you if she'd had a helmet that horse still would've freaked out and she still would have suffered severe injuries and near death. Helmets do not keep you safe from harm, they do give better protection than without a helmet, yes, but they don't prevent near fatal injuries from happening. Fallon wears a helmet to promote safety and also as a sense of security on her part. Any helmet promoting rider will tell you that without their helmet they don't feel as secure and seeing others,be they young or old, without helmets make them insecure. A helmet is a security blanket. I was riding with a helmet and still got nailed in the head with a low hanging branch. I rode a horse that spooked, lowered his head then brought it back into my head, while wearing a helmet, and still suffered from a migraine and bruises. A helmet doesn't prevent accidents, I don't necessarily think one needs to get so upset if someone goes without a helmet, but I don't think it's a bad idea to wear one either.

I like Fallon Taylor because she isn't afraid to step out and go against what is popular. I like her because despite nearly being killed she went back to doing what she loved and does it well. I like her creative way of promoting helmets and I just like her in general. She's an awesome rider and woman.

2014 Season Highlights
• Won first WPRA World title after winning $276,441 in 2014; finished second in the average at the NFR with a total time of 145.10 on ten runs; placed in eight out of 10 rounds winning Rd. 1 and 4.
• Won the Tri-State Rodeo (Amarillo, Texas)
• Won the Dayton (Iowa) Championship Rodeo
• Won the Crossett (Ark.) Riding Club 66th Annual PRCA Rodeo
• Won the Black Hills Roundup (Belle Fourche, S.D.)
• Won the Pioneer Days Rodeo (Clovis, N.M.)
• Won the Southwestern International PRCA Rodeo (El Paso, Texas)
• Won the Silverton (Texas) Buck Wild Days Rodeo
• Won the Canyonlands PRCA Rodeo (Moab, Utah)
• Won the Clovis (Calif.) Rodeo
• Won the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show and Rodeo (Mercedes, Texas)
• Won Parada Del Sol (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
• Won Avi River Stampede (Fort Mohave, Ariz.)
• Won the Leesville (La.) Lions Club Rodeo.

Career Highlights
• 2013 – Finished the year ranked 11th in the world with $116,785. Won $15,925 at the Wrangler NFR; Won the Home of Champions (Red Lodge, Mont.), the Mandan (N.D.) Rodeo Days, the Williams Lake (B.C.) Stampede, the Mother Lode Round-Up (Sonora, Calif.), the Avi River Stampede PRCA Rodeo (Fort Mohave, Ariz.), the Texas Stampede (Allen), the State Fair of Louisiana Pro Rodeo (Shreveport), the Austin Co. Fair and Rodeo (Bellville, Texas) and the Odessa Rodeo Festival (Tampa, Fla.); was co-champion at Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo (Odessa, Texas) and the NILE Pro Rodeo (Billings, Mont.)
• 2012 – Finished the year ranked 16th with $53,922. Won the Jesse James Days Rodeo (Northfield, Minn.), the Great Plains Stampede Rodeo (Altus, Okla.), the Breckenridge (Colo.) Stables PRCA Rodeo, the Douglas County Fair & Rodeo (Castle Rock, Colo.), the 101 Wild West Rodeo (Ponca City, Okla.), the Jayhawker Roundup Rodeo (Hill City, Kan.), the Barber County Fair and Rodeo (Hardtner, Kan.), the Scottsbluff County Fair & Rodeo (Mitchell, Neb.), the Auburn (Calif.) Wild West Stampede and the Lakeside (Calif.) Rodeo
• 1998 – Finished 12th in the world with $47,277
• 1997 – Finished 7th in the world with $56,556
• 1996 – Finished 9th in the world with $59,925
• 1995 – Finished 6th in the world with $62,414

Awards
2013 AQHA/WPRA Horse of the Year Flos Heiress, Won the 2013 and 2014 Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award at the Wrangler NFR