PRORODEO Sports News - March 27, 2026 Digital Edition

Photo Courtesy of MM Fisher, Jr Memorial Steer Roping

TAYLOR SANTOS STAYS HOT WINS M.M. FISHER, JR. MEMORIAL STEER ROPING TITLE

By Ted Harbin, Special to PRORODEO Sports News

M omentum is an amazing thing. After two years on injured reserve, Taylor Santos is riding a wave of success into spring. He kicked off the month of March by winning the prestigious Timed Event Champion ship at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla., showcasing his skills in all five disciplines. He rolled that into a victory March 21-22 at the M.M. Fisher Jr. Memo rial Steer Roping at Andrews, Texas, finishing four runs in a cumulative time of 48.2 seconds to take the lion’s share of the money, $8,291. “I wish there was 60 days in March instead of 31,” said San tos, 31, a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in tie-down roping who also has three appearances at the National Finals Steer Roping. “It just seems like after the Timed Event, whenever you have a set time

that you had to be and then you get the job done, that does good things for your confidence. It just feels good right now.” That’s not been the case for a cou ple of years. In May 2024, he had the first of three surgeries: He had both hips repaired, then opted for a knee repair. There was extensive rehabilitation from all three oper ations, and it just took time to get back in the saddle. The win in west Texas is a positive sign. “It’s a huge roping,” said Santos of Creston, Calif. “It’s a first-class event.” It was built that way. The rop ing was created by steer ropers Dan, Vin Jr., and J. Tom Fisher to honor Dan’s dad, whom they said loved Andrews, education and steer roping. The Fisher roping offers a positive economic impact to the community and provides scholar

ships to deserving Andrews High School student-athletes. “Anything that the Fishers have their hand in and that their putting on is going to be first class, and it sure enough was,” said Santos, who shared the first-round win with Clay Long and held on to win the aggregate championship by just four-tenths of a second over J. Tom Fisher. It’s a step in the right direction for Santos, who said his hips be gan bothering him during the 2021 PRORODEO campaign. He made his second NFR and his first trip to the steer roping finale that season. He followed that with two more ven tures to the NFSR in Mulvane, Kan., before taking the time to feel some what back to normal. “My hips started bothering me at the finals, and I tried to rodeo in ’22 and ’23,” he said. “The tripping went

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