Nora Camp and the Heart of Barrel Racing
Photo by Jamie Plain
Nora Camp is quick to describe herself. “Definitely weird,” she says with a laugh. “Crazy most of the time. And maybe I’m a little bit scary sometimes.”
At 12 years old, the sixth grader doesn’t fit neatly into any one box — and she doesn’t try to. On weekends, while many kids her age are sleeping in or scrolling their phones, Nora is loading horses, driving to shows across the region, and preparing to compete in barrel racing. It’s a fast-paced sport that demands focus, discipline, and confidence — qualities Nora has built one ride at a time.
Her journey into the horse world didn’t begin with big goals or championship dreams. It started simply, when her uncle and cousin bought two horses and kept them at her family’s house.
“They were chill, calm horses,” Nora explains. “And I wanted horses because I wanted to be able to ride when they rode.”
That simple desire grew into something much bigger. With the support of her family — and a whole lot of early mornings, practice, and patience — Nora found herself not just riding horses, but competing, learning, and discovering what she’s capable of along the way.
Learning the Sport
Barrel racing is often over in seconds, but Nora knows how much work goes into every run. When asked how she explains the sport to someone who’s never seen it before, she breaks it down clearly and confidently.
“You run in from what you call an alleyway,” she says. “You make a full turn around the first barrel, then go straight to the next one across from it, then the third barrel — it’s like the point of a triangle — and then you run back to the alleyway.”
The goal is simple: complete the pattern as fast as possible without knocking over a barrel. Runs are timed electronically, starting as the horse crosses into the arena and stopping as they exit.
Depending on the horse and rider, a run can last anywhere from 15 to 20 seconds — but Nora believes success is about more than time.
“A successful run for me looks like having fun during the run,” she says. “And having a clean run, keeping all the barrels up.”
A Full Schedule — On and Off the Horse
Nora competes nearly every weekend, racing in both youth and open divisions. Most of her competitions take place close to home, including Butler County, Muhlenberg County, Oak Grove, and Hopkinsville.
Between shows, she practices two to three times a week. A typical practice starts slowly, warming up her horse and working through basic movements before moving on to drills and pattern work.
“At the end, if we had a good schooling, then we do a quick little loop through the pattern a little faster,” she explains.
Outside of practice and competition, there’s still plenty of work to be done. Horses require daily care, whether there’s a show coming up or not.
“There’s maintenance, washing them, keeping them clean, taking them to the vet,” Nora says. “And I always typically have to get up early on some days of the week and feed before school.”
It’s a level of responsibility that often surprises her classmates.
“At school, when I tell them I ride, they’re surprised,” she says. “You have to do several different things that people wouldn’t think about.”
Balancing schoolwork with a busy competition schedule isn’t always easy, especially during long drives to shows.
“Sometimes we have a four-hour drive somewhere, and I have schoolwork,” Nora says. “Even though I don’t want to sometimes, I have to make myself do it.”
The Horses Who Made the Difference
Nora currently has four horses, but two play especially important roles in her barrel racing journey.
Letty, a six-year-old palomino, is the horse Nora competes on most often.
“She’s always hungry,” Nora says with a smile. “And she’s lazy most of the time.”
Letty wasn’t originally purchased as a competition horse. Nora’s dad bought her as a trail horse — but Nora quickly took over.
“I always steal the horses,” she admits.
When it became clear that Nora needed a horse who could step up in competition, Letty was sent to training. While she may not be the fastest horse in the arena, Nora values her consistency and attitude.
“She’s not the fastest thing on earth,” Nora says. “But she lays down good times, and she’s a good horse.”
What makes Letty stand out, Nora says, is her temperament.
“She enjoys her job,” she explains. “She’s level-headed. She’s sweet. You can put anyone on her, and she’s not going to go crazy.”
Fancy, a 20-year-old bay mare, brings a different personality to the barn.
“She’s mean sometimes,” Nora says honestly, “but also really sweet.”
Communication, Trust, and Faith
During a run, communication between horse and rider happens quickly and quietly. Nora uses a mix of voice, reins, and leg cues to guide Letty through the pattern.
“Especially going to the first and third barrel, I say, ‘Hey, hey, hey,’ to let her know we’re about to turn,” she says.
Before each run, Nora and her dad share a simple routine.
“We usually just pray,” she says. “That’s all we do.”
It’s a moment of calm before the competition — and one that reflects how much her family is involved in every step of her journey.
Handling Challenges
Not every run goes perfectly, and Nora is honest about how she handles disappointment.
“Sometimes I don’t handle it well,” she admits. “I kind of get mad.”
But she’s learned to take responsibility and look for ways to improve.
“There’s always something you can do better,” she says. “Most of the time, there’s something I should have done better.”
Training can be frustrating, especially when a horse has an off day.
“Sometimes your horse is going to have an off day, just like you do,” Nora says. “It’s hard not to give up.”
Still, quitting has never really crossed her mind.
“There’s times I’ve wanted a break because it’s a lot of work,” she says. “But you can’t just stop feeding your horses.”
What keeps her going is knowing that effort matters.
“If I don’t do the work and the maintenance they need,” she explains, “they’re not going to perform.”
Big Moments and Bigger Goals
One of Nora’s proudest moments came when she qualified for the World Championships in Perry, Georgia — and made it to the finals riding Letty.
“I was just proud of my horse and myself,” she says. “That’s hard to do.”
The experience stands out not just for the competition, but for what it represents.
“You have to want it,” Nora explains. “You have to get all the points built up to go.”
Looking ahead, Nora has clear goals for the season. She hopes to win $1,000 over the course of the year and get Letty’s times into the 14-second range.
Long-term, her dreams stretch even further.
“I hope one day that I can be in the pro rodeo circuit,” she says. “I hope I can go to the NFR one day and just do all the big rodeos and have fun with it.”
The Power of Support
Nora never competes alone. Her family is always there — cheering, coaching, and recording her runs.
“You can watch any of my videos,” she says. “There’s always someone in the background yelling and cheering me on.”
That support matters deeply to her.
“Some people don’t have the support that I have,” Nora says. “And I feel like that would be hard.”
She also looks up to professional barrel racers, especially Hailey Kinsel, whose runs she studies online and Marne Loosenort, Nora’s trainer who is always available for advice.
“I watch their runs on YouTube and study how they ride,” she says.
Growing Into Herself
Barrel racing has taught Nora more than technique or timing.
“It’s taught me that I can do more than I think I can,” she says.
Three years ago, she never imagined herself competing the way she does now.
“If you asked me then, I would’ve said, ‘You’re crazy,’” she laughs.
When she’s not riding, Nora enjoys playing soccer — and even on days she’s not competing, she still likes being at the barn.
“I still like to go hang out with the horses,” she says.
If she could race anywhere in the world, she already has ideas.
“Texas,” she says. “But also, I kind of want to see if Australia has a barrel race.”
Advice Worth Hearing
For other kids interested in barrel racing, Nora keeps her advice simple and honest.
“There’s times when you’re going to want to give up,” she says. “But don’t. It all pays off in the end.”
And when she thinks about people reading her story?
“That’s cool,” she says. “That’s just awesome.”
For Nora Camp, barrel racing isn’t just a sport — it’s a place where hard work, family, and confidence come together, one ride at a time.
