Taurie and her stallion Rowan. Photo Courtesy of Taurie Banks.

Written by Carina Monica Montoya

“A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one can talk to a horse of course, that is, of course, unless” it’s Taurie Banks. Taurie is a longtime resident of Fillmore and a graduate of Fillmore High School. She was a member of the 4-H Pony Club, Future Farmers of America, and is a longtime equestrian. Taurie has been involved with horses since 1976. She is the owner and operator of Kings Corner Training Stables in Moorpark.

As a rider and trainer, she trained two horses that were selected out of six hundred horses for the 1984 Olympic Modern Pentathlon, which is an Olympic sport that includes equestrian show jumping. Her many accomplishments also include being a two-time World Champion at dressage and western dressage; three-time Reserve World Champion dressage, western dressage, and jumpers; and was accepted by Southern California Equestrian Sports for the development of international riders, to name only a few of her accomplishments as a rider and trainer. As an instructor, Taurie trained a junior rider who won the CCC California State Champion for Jumpers; trained winning riders for the USPC, ISHA and IEL (dressage, eventing, jumpers, and hunters); and trained multiple riders for the USPC National Championships and Championships West (dressage, eventing, show jumping and tetrathalon).

Horses in America have been an important way of life since the nation’s founding in 1776. When Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas on his second voyage in 1493, he brought Spanish horses to the Virgin Islands. In 1519, Hernán Cortés introduced the horses to the continental mainland. The horses became integral to rural and urban life up to the 20th century when they were replaced with mechanization in industrial, economic, and transportation. Although horses are still used for special tasks, they are now primarily used for recreation and entertainment. An interesting fact stated in an article in Psychology Today (December 6, 2020), “In both the USA and Great Britain, over 90% of horse owners are women. Three out of four students enrolled in riding schools in Europe are women. The first woman to be a horse veterinarian was in 1957 and now, four out of five equine veterinary graduates are women.”

Although Taurie is immersed in all things relating to horses, she finds the time to give back to the community. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Susan Banks, who was one of the founding members and president of the Fillmore Women’s Service Club, Taurie has served as president and vice president of the club. The club raises funds that are distributed back to the community to families in need, graduating seniors, women returning to education, school activities, museums, libraries, and many other community groups. Taurie organizes and assists in fundraising activities; speaks at Fillmore High School and Sierra High School on scholarships; and developed the Junior Women’s Service Club to provide mentors to young women.

If you see Taurie around town and want to talk horses, just remember, “A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one can talk to a horse of course, that is, of course, unless” it’s Taurie Banks.