Kaila Mussell was the first woman to become a professional saddle bronc rider since the formation of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1936. Mussell’s journey in rodeo started at home in Chilliwack, British Columbia in Canada.
Mussell is of Coast Salish native descent and grew up on the Skwah reservation, part of the larger Stó:lō First Nations territory. Her late father, Jack, served as chief of their tribe but was also a saddle bronc rider and bull rider. Her mother, Cindy, was Miss Rodeo Canada in 1971. Her dad taught her how to break colts when she was ten years old. A year later, she started competing as a barrel racer and, at twelve, began steer riding. By fifteen, Mussell was trick riding professionally, including at the Calgary Stampede and the Pacific National Exhibition.
Inspired by the many women bronc riders of the past, Mussell wanted to become the first woman to successfully ride in the modern style of saddle bronc riding. In 2002, she placed at her first professional rodeo in Oregon, becoming the first woman to ever place in any PRCA sanctioned rough stock event. Later that year, she won her first pro rodeo and filled her PRCA card in 2003.
Mussell has had many saddle bronc finals qualifications over the years in both amateur and professional levels, including with the United Professional Rodeo Association, Indian National Finals Rodeo, International Indian Finals Rodeo, New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association, and Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. She is a West of the Rockies Finalist and PRCA Columbia River Circuit Finalist. In 2014, Mussell broke her neck leading to three fused cervical vertebrae. After a year off, she decided to get back into the saddle. She competes to this day, with her most recent win in November 2024.
Besides equestrian sports, Mussell also has competed in karate, track and field, and powerlifting in which she holds provincial and national records. She was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame within the Indigenous Sports division in 2018. Mussell has given back by teaching saddle bronc schools, public speaking, writing, and educating the rodeo community on mental health issues. For the past 10 years, she has been as an equine sports therapist.
