Dan Taylor

Dan Collins Taylor (September 2, 1923 – November 3, 2010) was an American cowboy, rodeo performer, and promoter.

Background Taylor was born on September 2, 1923, in Coleman near Abilene in Coleman County, Texas in central Texas. While Dan was still a baby, his family moved to Doole, Texas. His parents were third-generation ranchers. Taylor graduated from high school in 1941.

Taylor was two years old when he started learning to ride horses. His first horse was named Billy, a streak-faced bay. At least five years old, he started learning roping because, "I wanted to and I liked it". At eight years old, he was considered a cowboy. At 15 years old, he started competing in rodeo.

Rodeo career In 1941, he joined the Cowboy Turtles Association (CTA). The organization was so new, he was issued card No. 64. He started competed in calf roping in professional rodeo. In 1942, at age 18, he was the youngest professional roper in the world. The CTA was renamed to the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) in 1947.

Calf roper In 1942, at age 20, Taylor competed in his first Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In 1951, he ranked fourth in world competition.

Taylor spent at least 25 years performing as a calf and team roper. He traveled the country. He made 14 stops in New York City that included Madison Square Garden. There, he not only roped but acted as chute boss. During one of those stops in New York City, a photographer named Robert Frank captured a photograph of Taylor. The photograph is now historic and is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. was over that morning, the ceremony was held where friends gave speeches and showed a PowerPoint presentation focused on his life. In 2005, Taylor and his wife, Berva Dawn Sorensen, were inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2006, Taylor was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, formerly known as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Also in 2006, Taylor was inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame. Taylor was inducted into the Dublin Rodeo Heritage Museum in Dublin, Texas. The Taylors had three daughters, three granddaughters and one grandson, and four great-grandchildren.