With the Australian Professional Rodeo Association’s All Round Cowgirl Title for 2023 hotly contested, Wrangler | Twisted X has a couple of leading ladies battling it out for this title. We are excited to introduce our newest leading lady signed onto our wonderful team of sponsored riders, Dakota Baretta.

A former APRA Miss Rodeo Australia, Dakota specialises in Barrel Racing & Breakaway Roping and one of the leading APRA All Round Cowgirls.
Dakota hails from the beautiful Bloomsbury area in North Queensland, where she resides with her partner & daughter on their property. Being a hay producer, Dakota spends more time in a tractor than she does in a car. Fun fact about Dakota, she can and will back a 40ft trailer in any situation.

This inspiring young mother is chasing her dreams and goals all with her young family by her side. She is best described as competitive, bubbly, outgoing and helpful. She entered her first rodeo at the age of 5 in South Australia and have been hooked ever since. It has always been a family interest with both her parents competing too!

Dakota credits her mum Candy Michaelis as her great influence for all she has achieved through every high & low and Jane Ryan for showing everyone you can achieve your goals even with a baby on your hip. Dakota’s most memorable moment in her career so far would be winning the first round of the APRA Warwick Rodeo 2022 on her birthday with her 8-month-old daughter there.

Our team here at Wrangler and Twisted X are always keen to support the next generation in any sport or in this case barrel racing and breakaway roping, that may be beginning to pursue their dreams. We like to give our professional riders the opportunity to offer some words of wisdom for their journey ahead. Dakota would say “Trust the process, your time will come if you stay consistent and put in the work.”

With western fashion trends being of main focus to us, it’s always interesting to hear people's fashion ideas. We couldn’t help but ask Dakota for her best fashion tip, and her response was, “Be yourself, wear what makes YOU comfortable. “Tuck your jeans into your boots when it’s dewy” ha-ha.

The remainder of 2023 will be exciting for Dakota on her journey to hopefully achieve her title goal, but she always remains focused on consistently showing up to be a better competitor and jockey for her horses.

Photography credit: Redhot Photography