After qualifying for her first NFR and being forced to turn out due to a traumatic brain injury, Anita Ellis has returned to the arena and is already advancing at San Antonio.
Just weeks before she was set to make her first appearance at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Anita Ellis was in an intensive care unit recovering from a traumatic head injury.
On November 15, 2025, Ellis suffered a scary fall from a futurity horse at a Utah arena. Anita hit the concrete and sustaijed a brain injury serious enough to keep her hospitalized for nearly two weeks. Doctors would not clear her to ride and at one point, there were real questions about whether she would ever return to barrel racing at all.
The timing made it even harder. Ellis had just completed the best season of her career, finishing the regular season eighth in the world standings and qualifying for her first NFR. Instead of running down the Thomas & Mack alleyway in December, she made the difficult decision to turn out. She officially ended the year ranked 15th in the world after finishing 8th in regular season earnings.
For a cowgirl who had spent decades chasing that goal, the heartbreak was immeasurable. However, if Ellis has proven anything throughout her life, it is that setbacks do not define her.
At 17 years old, she survived a serious car accident that damaged three discs in her spine. Years later, she endured a broken vertebra and spinal fusion surgery. She built her business career, graduating college, and raised a family with her husband Brandon while continuing to develop elite horses.
In 2025, she had a career defining win at the Calgary Stampede after advancing through a qualifier tournament. Everything had aligned perfectly. That win was a huge boost for Ellis to make her first NFR. It was a dream come true.
Then came the fall just weeks before the rig headed to Vegas.
San Antonio this year marked Ellis’ first rodeo back since the accident. Anita already has come back strong, advancing to the semi finals.
In Bracket 4, Ellis placed third in Round 1 and second in Round 2, earning enough money to advance to the semifinals. She finished tied for second/third in the bracket standings with Carlee Otero, each racking up $3,853.
The four advancing barrel racers were Sharon Gow with $4,404, followed by Carlee and Anita, and then Tricia Aldridge with $2,752.
For Ellis, this win has been about more than a paycheck and a chance at a title. She is back ladies and gentlemen.
There is no sign of hesitation in her riding. The timing, the aggression, the confidence are all still there. To a fan on the outside looking in, you'd never know that just months ago Ellis had to relearn basic functions.
Last year, she wasn’t even in the building at many winter rodeos because she hadn’t won enough to qualify for those limited entry events. This year, thanks to the season she put together in 2025, she earned the right to enter, and thankfully is able to take advantage of that opportunity. Her 2026 story began strong in San Antonio.
There is something powerful about watching an athlete return after being told they might never compete again. Just yesterday we told the story of Jeter Lawrence, bull rider, who won the San Antonio Extreme Bulls a year after a very serious head injury too. These athletes are champions, not because of a gold buckle, yet. It is not just about resilience but about perspective. They know how quickly the sport they love can be taken away.
The road to Las Vegas is without a doubt, very long and grueling. Anita Ellis has shown she can do it once, and there is no stopping her from doing it again in 2026 either.
The road might be challenging, but Anita is back on it, and that alone is a win.