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When you are an Executive Director of any sporting organization, you are always on the lookout for new talent. So was the case of Taylor Kingsley. I know both of her parents and have watched Taylor grow up riding and competing in pony races. Within a year she began winning point to point races and competing in Training Flat races for her dad. In November of 2022 I listed Taylor for an Amateur race at Laurel Park.
Although she finished eighth, her demeanor, attitude and abilities were all very evident. In fact, she said to me, "I know I can do this. I want to win the Fegentri Championship." That is a huge goal, as it is an international competition and lasts an entire year.
It is funny how things happen. One of final races in the Fegentri year was approaching on November 11, 2023. For some reason several of the invited riders declined their invitation. I was asked if I would like to send an extra rider to Casablanca, Morocco, for the Ladies World Championship race. Any points she should earn would not count, but they needed another rider. Why not, let's send Taylor for the experience.
Well, it wasn't just experience she got, she got the win too. And she got the attention of the entire Fegentri world. It was love at first sight. No more questions asked, Taylor got the nod as the American representative for the 2024 Fegentri Ladies World Championship Series.
For Taylor her year started in May, flying to Magdeburg, Germany. A well-planned ride, then executed perfectly provided her with a solid victory to prove Morocco was not a fluke. First win.
Norway came next at the Ovrevoll racecourse; a horse named "Slay the Dragon" provided Taylor with her second win. Suddenly the first set of rankings of the year were posted and the American was second in the early competition. She went to France, picked up a point riding a long shot then set off to see what her luck could bring her in Sweden.
Taylor is a student of the game. She is very mature for a girl in her late teens. She is also a very determined athlete and has a keen sense of pace and a strong finish. Her draw in Sweden had not run well for a while and had moderate odds to win. Never to be discouraged, Taylor worked out a strategy and rode the horse to her third win and the number ONE spot in the rankings. (photo, at top, of Taylor riding CHINESE EMPEROR to the win in Sweden courtesy of Fegentri)
Taylor is on a very good road to a successful year and perhaps making that goal come true, not just for her but also for that Executive Director.
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