Sue Smith, a two-time winner of the barrel racing competition at the War Bonnet Round Up Rodeo in Idaho Falls, is gearing up for another win.
Smith said she was raised in Blackfoot, Idaho, and she considers the War Bonnet Round Up her hometown rodeo. She’s most looking forward to winning the barrel race again this year.
“I'm not going to lie and say that I don't hope to win it. I might not win it, but I'm hoping I will,” she said. “But at the same time, I really respect anybody that's out there having success. So, if somebody outruns me and they just flat outrun me, I'm the first one to go up and congratulate them because every dog has their day.”
A lot contributes to a win. Smith trains daily with her mare and colt to prepare for rodeos.
“If you're going to have horses, it's your life. You know, that's it. That's what my whole life revolves around. And I raised them. I trained them,” Smith said.
Beyond the rodeo lights, Smith says that the rodeo lifestyle is a lot of work and a mental game at times. But when she’s at the rodeo, she’s focused on the win.
“I get my game face on when I'm at a rodeo,” she said.
To those attending the War Bonnet Round Up this weekend, Smith encourages them to have fun and to live in the moment with her.
The War Bonnet Round Up runs today through Saturday at Sandy Downs in Idaho Falls. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. and events begin at 5:45 p.m. For more information, visit the War Bonnet Round Up website.
To hear more of Smith’s story as a barrel racing icon, listen to the full interview on BYU-Idaho Radio’s podcast on Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.