Johnson & Wales University Providence

Crystal Taylor serves as a full-time faculty member for the Equine Studies major at JWU (Providence) and has coached the University’s Intercollegiate Dressage Team since its inception. During that span, the Wildcats have consistently placed amongst the top programs in the nation on an annual basis.

The 2013 National Coach of the Year, Taylor guided the Wildcats to a National Championship in 2012, Reserve National Championship in 2013 and 2014, and Bronze place finish in 2016. She was inducted into the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Hall of Fame in May 2017.

Taylor coached National Champion Riders in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014. In 2018, she had an Upper Training level rider finish third at the National Championships and another finish as Reserve Champion in Intro in 2024. The JWU team has also earned the title as Regional Champions multiple times, including 2019.

Taylor has been actively involved in the equine industry for more than 30 years. She is a United States Dressage Federation (USDF) “L” Graduate with distinction for judge training. She is also a certified riding instructor through the USDF. She has extensive experience in the hunter/jumper discipline, dressage discipline, eventing discipline, breaking and training young horses, and racehorse industry.

Taylor has a bachelor’s degree in Equine Business and Master's Degree in Business Education from JWU. She has been teaching at JWU for the last 24 years and is very passionate about educating students and providing them with real-world experiences in the equine industry.

Taylor continues to stay active in the industry by teaching, coaching, competing, judging and attending many workshops and conferences. She resides in Smithfield, R.I. with her husband and daughter.