Dan Taylor (rodeo)
Encyclopedia
Dan Collins Taylor was an American
cowboy
and rodeo
performer and promoter.
near Brady
in McCulloch County
in central Texas
. He graduated from high school in 1941.
From 1961 until 2009, Taylor was the "boss" of Chute 9, the timed-event competition, at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo in Cheyenne
, Wyoming
. His total service to CFD rodeo was sixty-four years, 1945-2009, including time also as a contestant and a flag judge.
According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
, Taylor was riding horses at the age of two, roping at five, and competing in rodeo at fifteen. In 1942, at 18 he was the youngest professional roper in the world. That year, he joined the Cowboy Turtles Association, the predecessor organization to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
, of which Taylor was subsequently the president from 1986 to 1987.
In 1944, Taylor entered roping competition at Cheyenne Frontier Days.In 1950, he finished third in world calf-roping competition.. In 1951, he ranked fourth in world competition.
During his competitive years, Taylor won tie-down roping titles at San Antonio
, Texas, Boston, Massachusetts
, Ellensburg
, Washington, Nampa
, Idaho
(the Snake River Stampede Rodeo
), and Ogden
and Salt Lake City, Utah
.
Taylor was also chute director eleven times (1965-1973 and 1978-1979) at the National Finals Rodeo
, when that competition was held in Oklahoma City
, Oklahoma
, prior to its move to Las Vegas
, Nevada
. He was chute director six times at the National Finals Steer Roping in Guthrie
, Oklahoma. From 1954 to 1956, Taylor was the director of the PRCA calf roping section.
in the Fort Worth Stockyards
in Fort Worth
.In 2006, Taylor was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, formerly known as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.That same year he was also inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame. He is also an inductee of the Dublin Rodeo Museum in Dublin
, Texas.
In July 2011, nearly ten months after his death in his hometown of Doole, Texas, Taylor was honored in special ceremonies at Chute 9 at the 2011 Cheyenne Frontier Days competition, with speeches and a Power Point presentation about his life.
Shirley Churchill of Cheyenne, a long-time Taylor friend, said that she did not "know of anyone who has been or will probably ever be a better advocate of Cheyenne Frontier Days than Dan Taylor. ... He could make a decision without worrying what someone else thought. Dan was a phenomenon to run Chute 9 because his reputation was never for sale."
Tom Hines, another Taylor friend, described him as a "cowboy's cowboy."
The stock contractor Harry Vold said that Taylor "lived and breathed Cheyenne Frontier Days ... If ever there was a person who dedicated his life to Chute Number 9 at Cheyenne it was Dan Taylor."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
and rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
performer and promoter.
Rodeo career
Taylor was born to third-generation ranchers Babb Taylor (1904-1980) and Kathleen Taylor (1904-1987) in rural DooleDoole, Texas
Doole is an unincorporated community in McCulloch County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 74 in 1990....
near Brady
Brady, Texas
Brady is a city in McCulloch County, Texas, United States. Brady refers to itself as "The Heart of Texas", as it is the closest city to the geographical center of the state. The population was 5,523 at the 2000 census...
in McCulloch County
McCulloch County, Texas
McCulloch County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. The geographical center of Texas lies within the county. In 2000, its population was 8,205. Its county seat is Brady. McCulloch is named for Benjamin McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger and Confederate...
in central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He graduated from high school in 1941.
From 1961 until 2009, Taylor was the "boss" of Chute 9, the timed-event competition, at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo in Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. His total service to CFD rodeo was sixty-four years, 1945-2009, including time also as a contestant and a flag judge.
According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle is a daily newspaper published in Cheyenne and distributed primarily in Laramie County, Wyoming. It is the state's second largest newspaper in terms of circulation, behind the Casper Star Tribune. The Tribune Eagle is also one of several newspapers serving the Front Range...
, Taylor was riding horses at the age of two, roping at five, and competing in rodeo at fifteen. In 1942, at 18 he was the youngest professional roper in the world. That year, he joined the Cowboy Turtles Association, the predecessor organization to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is an organization whose members compete in rodeos throughout North America, primarily in the United States. The PRCA sanctions rodeo venues and events through the PRCA Circuit System. Its championship event is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo...
, of which Taylor was subsequently the president from 1986 to 1987.
In 1944, Taylor entered roping competition at Cheyenne Frontier Days.In 1950, he finished third in world calf-roping competition.. In 1951, he ranked fourth in world competition.
During his competitive years, Taylor won tie-down roping titles at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Texas, Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Ellensburg
Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg is a city in, and the county seat of, Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 18,174 at the 2010 census. The population was 18,250 at 2011 Estimate from Office of Financial Management. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on I-90 and is known as the...
, Washington, Nampa
Nampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
(the Snake River Stampede Rodeo
Snake River Stampede Rodeo
The Snake River Stampede Rodeo, located in Nampa, Idaho, is one of the top twelve professional rodeos recognized by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The rodeo is held for one week in late July every year. In 2009, the rodeo is being held from July 14 to July 18...
), and Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
and Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Taylor was also chute director eleven times (1965-1973 and 1978-1979) at the National Finals Rodeo
National Finals Rodeo
The National Finals Rodeo, organized by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, is the premier championship rodeo event in the United States. Wrangler Jeans is the title sponsor for the 10-day event, commonly just called the National Finals or NFR, which is also sometimes referred to as the...
, when that competition was held in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, prior to its move to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. He was chute director six times at the National Finals Steer Roping in Guthrie
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Guthrie is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 9,925 at the 2000 census.Guthrie was the territorial and later the first state capital for Oklahoma...
, Oklahoma. From 1954 to 1956, Taylor was the director of the PRCA calf roping section.
Legacy
In 2005, Taylor and his wife, the former Berva Dawn Sorensen (born ca. 1930), were inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of FameTexas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame
- History :Now housed in the Historic Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The organization, dedicated to the sport of rodeo and the recognition of Texas' contribution to that sport, the TRCHF was founded in 1975 by Johnny Boren and a group of Belton, Texas, businessmen...
in the Fort Worth Stockyards
Fort Worth Stockyards
The Fort Worth Stockyards is a historic district that is located in Fort Worth, Texas, north of the central business district. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District in 1976...
in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
.In 2006, Taylor was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, formerly known as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.That same year he was also inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame. He is also an inductee of the Dublin Rodeo Museum in Dublin
Dublin, Texas
Dublin is a city located in southwestern Erath County in Central Texas. The population was 3,754 at the time of the 2000 census.The town is the home of the world's oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant...
, Texas.
In July 2011, nearly ten months after his death in his hometown of Doole, Texas, Taylor was honored in special ceremonies at Chute 9 at the 2011 Cheyenne Frontier Days competition, with speeches and a Power Point presentation about his life.
Shirley Churchill of Cheyenne, a long-time Taylor friend, said that she did not "know of anyone who has been or will probably ever be a better advocate of Cheyenne Frontier Days than Dan Taylor. ... He could make a decision without worrying what someone else thought. Dan was a phenomenon to run Chute 9 because his reputation was never for sale."
Tom Hines, another Taylor friend, described him as a "cowboy's cowboy."
The stock contractor Harry Vold said that Taylor "lived and breathed Cheyenne Frontier Days ... If ever there was a person who dedicated his life to Chute Number 9 at Cheyenne it was Dan Taylor."