A dartboard that changed everything
Taylor, from Godalming in Surrey, was home-schooled as a teenager. It was during this period that he received a dartboard for Christmas, and everything changed.
"I picked up darts and really enjoyed it, so I started to enter competitions and realised I enjoyed playing and meeting people," Taylor explains.
He quickly started following youth darts tournaments online. There were plenty of them, and he began entering. The results came fast.
"I started following darts tournaments online. There were many of these for youth players, and I started to enter and was doing well."
Fast-tracked to the world stage
From online tournaments, Taylor moved to in-person competitions. His progression from there was rapid. In November 2026, just two years after picking up his first dart, he will travel to Gibraltar to compete in the Junior Darts Corporation World Darts Championship.
"I enjoy competing the most. Darts is a strong mental game but also has an enjoyable social side," he says.
When asked about his influences, Taylor keeps it simple. "My favourite dart player would be Gerwyn Price, but there's no-one I would like to emulate, as I am my own person and strive to be me."
His long-term ambition goes beyond the JDC circuit. "I have achieved a lot in my short period of playing darts and my ambition would be to play at the Lakeside."
More than just a sport
For Taylor, darts has opened doors far beyond competition. It gave him a social network, a sense of purpose and a reason to travel and meet people from all walks of life.
"Darts has been a huge achievement for me. I have travelled and met so many people, and this has given me a good social network."
A family effort
Behind Taylor's rise is his mum, Becky Dummer, who works as centre manager at the Protyre Autocare branch in Guildford. Becky has been with Protyre for six years. She started as a retail assistant, progressed to assistant manager on a part-time basis, and was promoted to centre manager full-time in October 2025.
"I first worked here as a retail assistant, but I love a challenge and I found myself doing lots of things beyond that role," Becky explains. "I progressed to assistant manager on a part-time basis. Now I am centre manager on a full-time basis, so looking at where I've come from and where I am now, I think it is quite an achievement."
"I find the more full-on my work is, the more energy I have! I have a great team here and I can't praise Protyre enough," she adds.
"I'm very proud of Taylor and all he has achieved in such a short space of time. I can't wait to see how he gets on for the rest of the year."
One to watch
Taylor is currently sponsored by Unicorn, DMH Mechanical, Kravings, JG Contractors and Protyre Autocare.
Taylor Harding's story is a reminder of what darts can do beyond the oche. For a teenager who found his passion through a simple Christmas gift, the sport opened up a world of competition, travel and connection. Gibraltar in November will be his biggest test yet.
You can follow Taylor's journey on his Facebook page.
