Rodeo Daily

75,000 Miles Later Anita Ellis Is Officially Headed to Her First NFR

Anita Ellis will be running down the alley of the Thomas and Mack for the first time.
Maddy Dickens|
Anita Ellis Professional Barrel Racer

Anybody who has ever competed in barrel racing professionally has dreamt of running down the alley at the Thomas and Mack. This year's unofficial qualifiers (not official until the audit is complete) has six athletes who will be running at the NFR for the very first time and one of them is Idaho cowgirl, Anita Ellis.

From last October until now Ellis had racked up nearly 75,000 miles on the road and by the end of it she can officially say it was well worth it.

She put herself on everyone's radar after winning the Calgary Stampede and going on to finish the year strong. Now she will be headed to Vegas inside the top-10 after going to only 44 rodeos and winning nearly $147,000.

Even though she "only" went to 44, she made more runs than that and since her tradition post runs is a shot of tequila it is safe to say she went through a bottle or two. As a mother of four it is a near guarantee how tough she is, but the tequila solidifies it.

A Look Inside Anita

Anita Ellis after her big win at the Calgary Stampede.
Anita Ellis Post-Calgary Victory/Anita Elli

There are a few things that really stand out about Ellis and her priorities after chatting with her: her family, her love for her horses, and her mental game.

Getting to the NFR for the first time doesn't happen just in the 365 days where the money won counts, but all the days leading up it. Whether that is her parents being a constant connection for advice or just her husband showing up day in and day out.

A duo of horses has been seen on the Cowboy Channel throughout the year, and both were needed to make this dream come true. This meant that their care had to be pristine at all times, which included long rests, hosing down legs after runs, and tracking down the best hay (not an easy task when traveling the country).

Now that she's back home for at least another month (will head to Arizona mid-November) she has time to regroup and catch up on the every day life that comes with being a mom, but the mental approach doesn't change. When on the road it was important to take walks, listen to books, etc. It is still just as important to her to continue that now in Idaho.

Round one of the NFR will kick off on Thursday, December 4, and that will be here sooner than ever. It isn't certain which horse will get the call, but either could win a round. Congrats to Ellis from the Rodeo on SI family on her first (of many) qualifications.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens is a professional barrel racer, with success at all levels of rodeo and competition. She was a reserve National Collegiate Champion at Tarleton State University where she graduated with honors and a Masters in Business Management. She also competed as part of the Mountain States Circuit where she was Rookie of the Year and a 2x qualifier for finals. Maddy resides in Loveland, Colo. She spends most of her free time riding, training and competing in barrel racing. When she is not on a horse or in the arena, she enjoys following collegiate and professional basketball and football, traveling, and is always up for a “friendly” competition.