Meet Nellie Miller: mother, world champion barrel racer

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Nellie Miller is trying to beat the clock in a barrel racing qualifier at the Clovis Rodeo. She's the 2017 world champion in the sport.

"It is just really exhilarating and you are just going as fast as you can which is an awesome feeling."

She lives and breaths barrel racing.

"I hope to be doing this when I'm 80."

But when she's off the arena, she's not Nellie the world champion, she's mom to 3-year-old Hadley and 5-year-old Payton.

"I hope they both want to barrel race when they're older so we can all do it together."

She tries to take her daughters to every show.

"I just love having them with me. I get kind of homesick for them if they are not with me and vice versa."

They give her that extra boost she needs when they cheer her on from the stands.

"It's nerve-wracking," says her husband James Miller. "It is exciting to watch her because she does so well and it's great to have the kids there screaming, 'Go, mommy, go!'"

Miller's has professionally raced for 10 years now, her partner in crime is her blue roan mare, "Sister."

"She is actually a sister to my old horse that I used to run barrels on, so we started calling her that and it stuck."

At the Clovis Rodeo, she has her sights set on another win and making her daughters proud.

"When I run barrels it is more like I'm their hero instead of their mom sometimes."