Man riding a horse in the river
Actor and artist Buck Taylor has been chosen as this year's winner of the Western Horseman Award. • Photo by Darrell Dodds.

Buck Taylor to be Honored as 2019 Western Horseman Award Winner

Famed actor and artist Buck Taylor has been chosen as the recipient of the 2019 Western Horseman Award. The native of Hollywood, California, came of age in the movie industry’s Golden Era and is an iconic character actor in Western television and movies.

Taylor’s more than 100 television episode appearances included eight seasons as a regular on “Gunsmoke” as Deputy Newly O’Brien. Most recently cast in Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone,” his movie appearances include “Tombstone” and “Hell or High Water.”

He’s received one of three Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and is also an inductee into the museum’s prestigious Hall of Great Western Performers. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In addition, Taylor has earned popularity as a gifted painter. Since selling his first paintings in 1993 at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, Taylor’s watercolors have become fixtures in the Western art world. He has been the official artist for several prestigious rodeos, including the NFR, Pendleton Round Up and Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The 2019 Western Horseman Award will be presented to Taylor on May 11 during the ranch rodeo at the Western Heritage Classic in Abilene, Texas.

Started in 2005, the Western Horseman Award recognizes outstanding individuals who exemplify Western cowboy authenticity, horsemanship, ethics, a commitment to education and sharing knowledge, and who show a passion for the Western way of life. Past honorees include Ray Hunt, Larry Mahan, Buck Brannaman, Pam Minick, Red Steagall, Al Dunning, and Ian Tyson.

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