The WRANGLER Horse and Rodeo News is an equine and rodeo publication with circulation in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, Utah and Idaho.
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August, 2024 • The WRANGLER • 35 thought I would get to go." Elaine made the Mountain States Circuit Finals in 2014, 2015, and 2017, well into her sixties. Unfortunately, she was unable to run at the 2017 circuit finals due to an accident sustained at a barrel race in Bozeman, Montana during September 2017. Following her run, her horse kicked her in the stomach, loosening part of her stomach and pinching her aorta off. She was taken to Bozeman and then life-flighted to Billings. Following emergency vascular surgery wherein they replaced her aorta, between the ICU in Billings and a rehab center in Red Lodge, she spent two-and-a-half months in the hospital. Elaine was given a 7 percent chance of survival, and there was speculation she would either be paralyzed from the waist down or that her legs would need to be amputated. Today, no one would suspect anything had ever happened. "I'm blessed in so many ways. I thank God every day and it was a miracle I am alive," Elaine said. Cowgirl to the core, Elaine's main concern with the accident was riding at the circuit finals. She had been given a breathing tube and was heavily sedated, so she couldn't speak. Motioning to her husband, Lee, for a pen and paper, she wrote "Circuit Finals?" Unfortunately, she wasn't released from her rehab center until late November, and missed running in Loveland. Elaine ran for a few more years before hanging up the pro-card. During her pro-career she had her circuit finals qualifications, but also qualified for the short go at Cheyenne Frontier Days several times among other wins throughout the Mountain States. Today, Elaine lives in Pavillion, Wyoming, with her husband and a few horses. Fly is now retired and lives on the place. Elaine and Lee split their time between Wyoming and a winter home in Morristown, Arizona. Fortunately, there are so many snowbirds down there that there are barrel race divisions for seniors she runs in. Elaine Hollings is the epitome of a cowgirl. She is tough, kind, and humble. She has given the glory to God and rolled with everything sent her way with grace and gratitude. When asked any final thoughts she said, "I don't know, I don't think I've done anything that memorable. I'm pretty lucky to have done the things I did, rodeo at a higher level like that. I feel blessed to have gotten to do that, and that was thanks to my horse. He ran at that level, a level I never thought I'd get to experience. I also got to meet some really nice people I'd have never met otherwise." While Elaine may think she has done nothing memorable, the proof is in the pudding. She has spent her life setting a fantastic example of what a cowgirl should be, an example that will continue to be set for years to come and will be remembered for generations after. Above: Elaine's husband Lee with her granddaughters Wacey & Riata. Below: Elaine & Lee with their granddaughter Riata at the UW graduation ceremony. All Photos courtesy of Elaine Hollings.