Page 201 - June_2023

Danny Michael Camp
1953-2023
Danny Michael Camp, 69, passed away on April 27, 2023, in New Mexico.
Danny Camp was born in 1953. His father was a railroad man and his mother was a waitress. Danny was an energetic child and that energy transferred into a love of sports, specifically baseball and horse racing. Hunting and baseball were the hobbies that consumed his time during his younger years. His first experience with horses was with a neighbor who let him ride a gentle Quarter Horse after pumping a stock tank full of water - a small payment for a boy who wanted to ride.
After high school, Danny enrolled at Eastern New Mexico University. During his first semester, he inquired if there was anyone who had horses. He found out about a man who trained racehorses - his name was Banty Lee. Danny drove to his house and announced that he would like to learn to ride racehorses, and Banty said he got two dollars a day and would pay Danny one for every horse he rode. Banty and Danny became lifelong friends.
When classes were over in the spring, Danny hitched a ride to Ruidoso Downs and was dropped off at the horseman’s entrance. He walked down to stay in a tack room which belonged to Johnny Williams - the only person Danny knew at Ruidoso.
His first summer at Ruidoso taught him how to get bucked off, run off with, visit the emergency room for stitches, and learn about life. His application for a jockey license was approved and he rode a total of six races with third place being his best finish. After another year of college, Danny was racing at La Mesa Park.
In his junior and senior years, he was on the gymnastic team, and he got to see some of the world while competing at different colleges. After graduating from college, Danny married Paula Browning and got a job teaching elementary physical education in Roswell. Later in life, he raised two children, Ty and Shannon, and spent 27 years at the same elementary school while enjoying horseracing. Some summers were spent as
a jockey, but most as a gallop boy and assistant starter in Albuquerque, The Downs at Santa Fe, and Ruidoso Downs. After retirement from the school system, he teamed up with Sleepy Gilbreath and spent a few years as an assistant trainer.
Danny loved breaking horses and substitute teaching at the local high school. He also tried his hand at calf roping. He was a volunteer at the local rodeo club and spent time with his grandchildren. He always had a love for young people and young horses.
Danny Camp wrote many years for Speedhorse. We are saddened to hear of Danny’s passing and he will be greatly missed by all of us at Speedhorse.
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