When Sue Smith talks about confidence, it’s worth listening. The Blackfoot, Idaho barrel racer has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in two different decades — and in 2023, two years after she first shared the thoughts below, she rode her great Dash Ta Fame mare Dashs Centerfold (“Centerfold”) back to Las Vegas at No. 14 in the world, breaking the arena record at Cheyenne Frontier Days along the way.
Editor’s note: Sue Smith shared these thoughts on confidence with us in the fall of 2021. Two years later, she proved every word of them — returning to the National Finals Rodeo 14 years after her last qualification. We’ve updated this article with that context.
So how does a rider stay that sharp for that long? For Smith, it comes down to one thing: knowledge.
Confidence Isn’t Arrogance
“People who are confident are sometimes seen as being arrogant; they have an air about them that comes from being confident that sometimes gets mistaken for arrogance,” Smith says.
The real source of that air isn’t attitude — it’s preparation. “How do you get confident? Well, I build my confidence from my training paying off with winning runs. My horses working well for me is what builds my confidence. Easier said than done at times!”
Knowledge Is Power
The more Smith knows, the less a bad run can shake her. “Knowledge is power! The more knowledge I have, the more confident I become,” she says. “Because if something doesn’t go well or as I had hoped in a competition run and I am confident in knowing how to fix it, then I’m okay with that. I work on it and see if I gained in my next competition.”
Learn More From the Losses
Smith’s sharpest insight cuts against instinct: the bad runs teach more than the good ones.
“I’ve learned as much if not more from what’s gone wrong in runs than from what’s gone right. When you win you go away thinking ‘that was fun and exciting,’ but you’re probably not thinking about what or how you’re going to ride in your next run. Now, if you aren’t happy with a run, you’re thinking about what you’re going to do to make your next run better.”
The catch? You have to own the run first. “That’s if you’re not making excuses for yourself or your horse — ‘the ground was bad,’ ‘I drew up bad on the ground,’ etcetera.”
And when a run does go right, don’t just celebrate it — study it. “Pay attention to what you did with your horse preceding that run and try to duplicate that.”
Surround Yourself With Winners
“It also helps to hang out with winners, they can rub off on you if they’re open and have good intentions,” Smith says. “Most winners are like that.”
Sue’s Confidence Cues
- Confidence comes from preparation, not personality.
- Knowing how to fix a problem beats never having one.
- Bad runs are lessons; good runs are blueprints — study both.
- No excuses: own the run before you can improve it.
- Keep company with winners.
Experience is Knowledge…
Knowledge is Confidence…
Confidence is a Job Well Done.
Knowledge is Power—Be Confident—Be Fierce!