There is no question about it, All-Around cowboy Taylor Santos is unbelievably dedicated to the sport of rodeo.
He qualified for his second National Finals Rodeo in 2021 and it came down to the very last weekend of the season. Santos traveled from Texas to California to Maine before he cinched a spot in top15 of the World Standings.
Santos main goal for the year was to qualify for his first ever National Finals Steer Roping and when September rolled around, he was almost there. He drove to Montana, Idaho and Washington the first two weeks of September and cinched his spot, going into the NFSR with the back number 11.
The last week of September began in Amarillo. Santos ended up third in the calf roping before he went to Salinas, where he did well enough to give it all he had to make the finals.
“Flew to Salinas and made a good run on the first one and so then I went to flying around. We decided we were going to try it until the bitter end,” Santos said.
He flew to Stephenville, Texas and Omaha, Nebraska before he went down to San Bernadino. He says the story kept building on the fourth quarter of the adventure. With the help of his brother, Lane Karney and his friend Ty Koumonduros, Santos drove from California to Maine.
“We’re watching and then our power goes out and I’m scrambling, watching on my phone and he didn’t pull it off in San Bernadino and so I’m like holy cow, we’re going to Cumberland, Maine. So I looked at my wife and I said I’m going to Cumberland too,” Karney said.
The trip with around 3,400 miles and they stopped for fuel, food, to let the horses out and they drove straight through.
“My roll was I was just along for the ride. He’s one of the most determined people I’ve ever met and he’s been that way since he was two-years old,” Karney said.
Santos says he would jump in the truck and do it again today. They turned it into a vacation and he says that there are some great cowboys in Maine and it shows that the western way of life is worldwide. Santos also ended up buying the two calves that he tied in Maine adding to the amazing story that he will tell his kids.