BLANDFORD – We live in an age of prodigal talents, of people who are accomplishing things at such young ages that the accomplishments themselves have become afterthoughts. While Taylor Wyman’s equestrian accomplishments would be monumental regardless of her age, the fact that this rider has had the success she’s had at the age of fourteen truly make her a marvel.
A resident of Blandford, Wyman only recently celebrated birthday number fourteen and is a freshman at Smith Vocational-Agricultural High School in Northampton. She lives the life of a normal American teenager, aside from her passion for horses.
“Her boyfriends are her horses,” said her mother, Becky Peckham, in a voice that hinted a beaming smile on the other end of the line. “She shows several different horses and has won numerous competitions with each.”
The trophy case is getting quite crowded. Wyman has won competitions all over the United States, and has visited every state in the union except for Alaska, California, Hawaii, Montana and Texas. In June of 2012, Wyman claimed a world title at the Pinto World Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the speed jumper class with one of her Painted horses, Joys Rocky Road, and placed top five in the world in five other events, top ten in six more.
The stellar showing in the Sooner State was made all the more miraculous by Wyman’s recovery from a terrible accident in April, when a horse she was riding rolled over on top of her, breaking her arm, fracturing her hip and separating her pelvis. After not walking for six weeks and not riding for twelve, Wyman and her family traveled to Oklahoma and came home with a world champion.
Of the three horses she shows, two, Rocky and Good Timing Tommy are Painted, while another, Hesgotcadillacstyle, is a Quarter Horse.
When asked where her interest arose from, Wyman explains it by going back to the start.
“When my parents brought me home, Mom put me on the horse she had had since she was in the third grade,” she explained. “I’ve been riding since before I could walk.”
Wyman’s family breeds and raises horses and in total, has around 40 living with them, of which five are their own, 12 are for sale, and the rest are Minis.
Of the family’s horses, Wyman maintains that she has the best relationship with Rocky, whom she regards as her “best friend”. Rocky was purchased several years before Wyman showed up in the stable. Since they basically have grown up together, Wyman believes she is closer with him than the other horses on their property.
Wyman’s parents are looking to build a larger facility for Taylor and her equine BFFs, to give her the best chance to continue improving her craft, all the while hoping to qualify for Olympic competition.
“Every four years, I hate missing the equestrian events in the Olympics,” Wyman said, “It’s where I want to be.”
“She has enormous talent, and wants to make a career out of it,” her mother adds, “At the very least, she’ll have a lifelong passion for horses.”
Whether or not the latter statement will most likely come true, it can be assumed that Taylor Wyman, western Massachusetts’ world champion equestrian prodigy, will need another trophy cabinet or two before it’s all said and done.
