Reality TV Star Jackson Taylor Has Died

Jackson Taylor, a cowboy who competed on country star Trace Adkins’ Ultimate Cowboy Showdown, has died. Taylor died in a rodeo accident on Saturday, July 22, according to an official news release from the show’s INSP Network, though details of the accident remain unclear. A close family member told EverythingLubbock.com that the accident occurred at a rodeo in Moriarty, New Mexico.

“Jackson was the quintessential cowboy,” Doug Butts, EVP of Programming at INSP, said. “He was an exceptional horseman, rugged, talented, aggressive, experienced, a maverick, a tough competitor, and a devoted friend. Everyone at INSP feels a profound loss and we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the cowboy community as you grieve his death and remember his life.”

Taylor, a fifth-generation cowboy who worked on ranches in Texas, New Mexico, and Montana from the age of 15, competed on the second season of Ultimate Cowboy Showdown. Hosted by Adkins, the show brings together the top cowboys from across the United States to compete to win a herd of cattle, a coveted belt buckle, and a lifetime of bragging rights. He was set to appear on the all-stars season of Ultimate Cowboy Showdown as one of just four contestants to return. Filming on the season wrapped before Taylor’s passing and will air as planned. A network spokesperson told The Plainview Herald the season, filmed at the Flying E Ranch in Arizona, is set to air in September.

“Since season four completed filming in the spring of 2023, Jackson plays prominently throughout numerous episodes,” INSP said. “We feel that airing the season, as planned, beginning Wednesday, September 6th, is the most fitting way to honor him and provide viewers and the cowboy community with a moving tribute to the man and his legacy.”

Amid news of his passing, many who knew Taylor have paid their respects. In a message shared across his social media accounts, Adkins remembered Taylor as “a helluva cowboy,” adding that “there was no ‘back down’ in him and I’m proud to have known him. Rest in peace, hoss.” The New Mexico Cattle Growers Association President, Loren Patterson, also extended his condolences to Taylor’s family and said Taylor “rode into a new range.”