Sue Smith, photo by Kerri Allardyce

Ogden, Utah-Two ladies from each circuit will earn qualifications to the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo held in April 2010 in Pocatello, Idaho. In some circuits, both positions are still up for grabs through the last run of the circuit finals rodeo. But in the Wilderness Circuit, only one spot remains to be decided.

Blackfoot, Idaho, cowgirl Sue Smith has done something that is extremely difficult to do, particularly in the very competitive Wilderness Circuit: she has the year end championship all sewn up prior to the barrels being set-up at the this year's Wilderness Circuit Finals.

So, when the Finals get underway this weekend in Ogden, Utah at the Golden Spike Event Center, the 12 WPRA barrel racers will essentially be battling for one remaining DNCFR position, that being awarded to the Circuit Finals champion.

The field includes a who's who of the best in the circuit: former circuit champions like Terri Wood-Gates and Nancy Hunter, and three rookies, including the 2009 WPRA Rookie of the Year and Smith's traveling partner, Kelli Tolbert. All tough cowgirls with a chance at walking away from three runs in Ogden with a circuit finals win under their belt.

For Smith, the circuit finals will be a pressure free experience and a warm-up for her first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification, just six weeks following.

"It was really fun the way the year went," Smith laughs. "It will be nice to go into the circuit finals and not worry about what everyone else is doing. I can just enjoy the moment, getting to see everyone. It's gonna be cool."

Smith's relaxed approach is courtesy of a phenomenal year within her circuit and on the road. She entered just 18 circuit rodeos, and only a handful outside the circuit, yet collected an impressive $40,632 in circuit earnings. She is $24K in front of last year's champ, Hunter.

Smith followed her own playbook with her great young horse, Real Claim to Fame. Saying she wanted to take her time with the six year old, Smith entered what she wanted to and stayed close to home. While she won many of the major rodeos in the Wilderness circuit like Caldwell, Nampa, and Vernal, it was a reserve championship in Reno that thrilled her the most.

"I think Reno was the most exciting because it was our first big rodeo and the first time my horse had run in a big outdoor arena like that," Smith says. Claimer had previously only run at futurities, derbies, and some open divisional races, most of which are held indoors or in covered pens. "I was ecstatic to learn that he could handle the rodeo scene; he ran a 16.9 on a standard, which he had done before but not under rodeo conditions."

Smith had set a goal of making a return trip to the DNCFR - she previously qualified in 2002 - but soon saw her name climbing the NFR standings as well. Good showings in the Justin Boots Playoffs sealed her first Wrangler NFR qualification.

Smith hopes to use the Wilderness CFR as a warm up to the Thomas & Mack.

"I ran Claimer at a slot race last week and he hit barrels but had the fastest time," she says of the Golden Spike arena. "I feel pretty good about it, though. I think it will be good to run there before the Finals. The set up is similar, with a slightly blind first barrel and the alleyway. It will be good to get into a small pen like that before the NFR."

While Smith and Claimer have certainly dominated this season, there are a number of ladies who will challenge her for the finals championship in Ogden. It will be three great rounds of barrel racing with one winner taking the prize-the chance to compete at the DNCFR.