She’s a well-known competitor in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association and the rodeo industry, but for those that don’t know, Ella Burns is the newest member of Team Wrangler/Twisted X. We are pleased to welcome her to the wonderful line up of competitors that makes up this incredible team. We recently caught up with Ella, to see how and where her rodeo journey began, and some of the milestones along the way. Here’s what she had to say.

It was through her mum’s involvement with horses that got Ella involved in the rodeo industry in the begin. Her mum was getting a horse broken in by a longtime friend and farrier, Andrew McQualter Whyte, when Ella started riding some of their horses and this is where she fell in love with the world of rodeo. “I started off by buying a young futurity barrel racing horse, he later on sustained an injury, this is when Andrew encouraged me to focus on learning to rope and that I did, shortly after I bought my first rope horse off Andrew and from there I never looked back.”

How would Ella Burns be described in five words? “Determined, competitive, adventurous, ambitious and resilient,” said Ella. When we are Ella who she credits for their influence in her rodeo career thus far, she said “there are many people who have played big parts in my success, but one closest to me is Nicole McDonald, not only is Nicole a great friend but also a mentor and someone who has always pushed me to be better and reach my goals.”
Ella most memorable moment competing would have to be winning the first ever breakaway roping at the Wrangler federation rodeo held at the Sydney Easter show in 2025. However, my rookie year in 2024 was a successful year that really stood out for her.

We always like to ask our sponsored riders to part with some wisdom they’d like to pass onto the next generation starting out in their chosen sport, breakaway roping, in Ella’s case. Ella’s advice is “Listen and learn from everyone who is willing to tell you something and help, you are never too good to stop learning. You can take something away from almost every person you meet, even if it’s what not to do. Try lots of things to see what works for you.”
Fun fact that many may not know about Ella, while she’s always been involved in the horse industry, she actually grew up showjumping and eventing prior to competing in rodeos.

Western fashion trends are a big focus to our business here at Wrangler, so as always, we can’t help ourselves when we catch up with our professional riders in asking them for their best fashion tip. Ella’s response was “Anything Wrangler and Twisted X is all you need to be looking your best. But I love to accessorise with wild rags.” It’s always interesting to hear their fashion ideas.

What to expect from Ella Burns for the remainder of 2026? “This year has been jammed packed with competing over the summer/spring period. I was lucky enough to have some success to sit me in a good spot leading into the rest of the season. I don’t have a lot planned over the colder months, just stay sharp and keep the horses feeling good to then hopefully come back at the finals later in the year.” Said Ella.