Barrel Racer Anita Ellis Bounces Back After Freak Accident in Idaho

Every rodeo counts for athletes working to land in the top 15 and earn a qualification to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in December. As there are just weeks left in the season, these top-of-the-line athletes know just how important getting back into the saddle is, especially barrel racer Anita Ellia.

At No. 24 in the world standings, Ellis has spent this season bouncing back from an injury that took her out of the NFR last year. Just weeks before the event, the cowgirl suffered a serious head injury. She spent weeks in recovery, and has since been fighting for her chance to prove she deserves another trip to the Thomas & Mack arena.

An Accident No Athlete Wants

Unfortunately, Ellis took another hit at the Magic Valley Stampede in Filer, Idaho over the weekend. She wrote on social media about the freak accident,

“Crazy thing happened to me tonight during my run in Filer and I thought I should say what happened since people have seen it and are worried and sending messages. Thank you for the love! The ribs I broke in my back during my accident are sore, but I’m ok. I can’t watch the video and be calm, so I’ll just show you a pic,” the post continues,

“This is on my way to the 2nd barrel trying to fix my reins that flipped over Rico’s head to the right side at the 1st. I managed it until he turned hard at the third and they ripped out of my hands. He got nervous and confused and ran around for a little while until my husband and others could help me to get him stopped. I’m thankful he did not step in his reins. I have an elastic I usually use to avoid this from happening but my mistake, it was really loose. Bad timing not to check it! I’m glad Rico will have a day off tomorrow so I can make sure he’s not as traumatized as Brandon and Quincy.”

Luckily, both the cowgirl and her horse walked away relatively unscathed and are working to head back into the arena before time runs out. As of now, Ellis has pocketed $76,267 so far, putting her nearly $25,000 outside of the top 15.

Despite this wide gap, Ellis is one athlete who knows the grit it takes to land on top. She isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon before the season ends, and hopefully fans will get the chance to see this cowgirl take on the Thomas & Mack arena soon in her career.

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