Fresno State Athletics
Equestrian Senior Spotlight: Taylor Dixon
2/15/2018 9:17:00 AM | Equestrian
Equestrian Senior Spotlight: Taylor Dixon
FRESNO, Calif. - The final senior to be recognized before Senior Day this Saturday is Western rider, Taylor Dixon.
The four-year Bulldog has seen success in both horsemanship and reining. As a freshman, Dixon was named the November UEC Horsemanship Rider of the Month. A year later, Dixon was named the October UEC Horsemanship Rider of the Month as well as earning a spot on the NCEA second-team All-American team (Horsemanship) and was crowned the UEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year.
In her senior campaign, Dixon has a 1-6-1 record in the horsemanship and a 3-4 record in the reining.
The Dover, Del. native sat down with GoBulldogs.com to discuss her career at Fresno State.
Q: Why did you choose Fresno State?
Dixon: "I chose Fresno State because it is close to where I keep my personal horse in Paso Robles. This was the only school where I would have the opportunity to continue showing him and also be apart of the equestrian team. I chose Fresno State because of the location but also because I really liked the town of Fresno. It was easy to navigate and I felt a lot more comfortable coming from a small town."
Q: Who is your biggest riding influence?
Dixon: "My parents have always been very supportive of me and have always set me up to be successful, which I truly appreciate. All of the trainers that I have had over the years have also played a role in the rider I have become and I am very appreciative. All of the horses I have found have all taught me something."
Q: What advice would you give to future Bulldogs?
Dixon: "My advice would be to not rush it. You come in as a freshman and you immediately want to show and be successful, but you have four years to get there. Each person seems to have their year where things click. Sometimes if you rush it, you miss the little things that you could have enjoyed about the college experience and being on the team with all of those girls and horses. Along those same lines, don't forget to put the time into your degree. Coming out with the degree is the end goal so working hard in the classroom is equally as important as practice."
Q: What is your most memorable win in the arena as a Bulldog?
Dixon: "My reining one would be winning at Baylor against Baylor. I won my reining point on a really tough horse, her name was Big Momma, and everyone knew her in the industry as being a tough horse to show. I had a pretty decent run on her so that was a pretty big accomplishment for someone who didn't have a ton of experience in the reining. For the horsemanship, I would probably say making it to the quarter finals at nationals as a freshman for the first time ever in team history. I was one of the last people to show during that meet and it was a tied meet, so my point was one of the last ones to count. I was able to win my point and I was a freshman who happened to defeat a senior on that day. It was a huge moment for me as a freshman to step up and prove myself. That is one I have never forgotten."
Q: Who was your favorite horse to ride?
Dixon: "On the horsemanship side, I really love Fred. I actually brought him with me to college, my family donated him. He is a personal favorite. Lola is another favorite on the horsemanship side. I love pretty much all of the reiners so it is tough to pick. Tuffy was probably my favorite. He just passed away, so that was definitely hard, but Tuffy and Tex are my favorite reiners."
Q: How would your teammates describe you?
Dixon: "I think they would probably describe me as a little bit more on the serious side. I definitely like to joke around and have a good time, but I do take practice very seriously. They would also probably put me in the nerd category as well because I am definitely dedicated to my studies and I have plans to continue on to grad school."
Q: What will you miss most about being a part of the equestrian program?
Dixon: I will definitely miss the horses. They all are so different. They teach you something new no matter how many times you ride them. I think that really shapes you into not only a better rider but a stronger person. I will definitely miss traveling with the girls. Going on the travel trips with all of the girls instead of traveling by yourself is such an experience. Connecting with people that have the same passion you do is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
Dixon: "My plan is to continue on to law school. I have a gap semester because my internship takes up an extra semester so I won't start until the following fall. Until then, I will probably be clerking for a law firm. I also love working in athletics, I have two internships with Fresno State Athletics right now, marketing and compliance, so I will probably continue those and continue to prep for law school."
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