His father, Keith, is a jockey. His mother, Denise, a drover's daughter, was put on horses before she could walk and used her father's horses for campdrafting and gymkhanas. She was one of the first women to ride in ladies races and also one of the first to compete against men.
 
"My Mum used to put me on horses like she had been and I was riding by myself when I was three."
 
"I've had good horses and been a bit spoilt I suppose, but having friends like the Snellings is really good. It helps me a lot. They've come to see me ride in rodeos quite often."
 
"Alistair Anderson has taught me a fair bit as far as roping goes. He's a bit of a mentor I suppose."
 
Keith Ballard confirms this. "Alistair loves helping people. He's always got time to show kids and he's not a pushy person. He just gently offers to help and only ever suggests. If he sees Dan ride at a rodeo and he needs help to do something a little better, he'll go up and say, "That was really good, but you could have done it this way."
 
Danny doesn't go to school with any of his rodeo friends. "But Cameron Brown, he's my distant cousin, always stays with us during the Mount Isa Rodeo and Jason Mara and him are always head to head. He's a very good competitor and a friend."
 
The longstanding traditions of friendship, generosity and community are plainly being absorbed by the "Legends" of tomorrow in cowboy, Danny Ballard.