Bull Rider

Bull Rider is a young adult novel by Suzanne Morgan Williams. First published in 2009 by Margaret K. McElderry Books, it tells the story of a young boy who swaps skateboarding for bull riding to win money for his family. The book was well received upon publication, and it was nominated for the 2012 Missouri Truman Readers Award. Williams is best known for Bull Rider; however, she’s written many nonfiction books for younger readers. Bull Rider has been both a Junior Library Guild Selection and a representative for Nevada at the National Book Festival.

The protagonist is a boy called Cam O’Mara. He’s fourteen years old and comes from a family of bull-riding champions. Everyone expects Cam to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and older brother, but Cam has other ideas. He loves skateboarding, and he prefers spending time at the skate park to working with the bulls.

Cam’s idol is his big brother, Ben. He always wants to impress Ben, and they care deeply about what happens to each other. When Ben joins the marines and goes to Iraq, Cam doesn’t know what to do with himself. He focuses on skateboarding and looking after the bulls Ben left behind.



However, everything changes for Cam and his family when Ben returns from Iraq early. He suffered a major brain injury and limb loss from a gunshot wound. Ben’s paralyzed, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever be able to look after himself again. Unable ride bulls anymore, Ben’s depressed and lost—and he isn’t making money in the ring anymore.

Ben needs thousands of dollars to get the medical treatment and tools he needs to live more independently. Cam’s not sure how to help his brother. He knows he can’t get a job when he must look after the bulls, and he’s too young to make money from skateboarding. But when Cam looks around the ranch, he gets an idea.

There’s one bull, Ugly, who no one ever rides. He’s tough and aggressive, and no one’s stayed on him for longer than eight seconds. But if someone can stay on Ugly for more than eight seconds, they’d impress the local judges enough to win cash. At the next bull ride, there’s a cash prize of $15,000 available. Cam decides that, to help Ben, he’s going to ride Ugly and win the money.



Meanwhile, Ben’s mental health deteriorates. He despairs because he’s lost his reasons for living, and he doesn’t believe he’ll ever recover. Cam promises that he’ll ride Ugly on one condition: that Ben keeps trying to get better. Ben knows that no matter how hard he tries, he might never heal, but he promises to try anyway. Helping Cam prepare for the competition gives him a new purpose in life.

As the weeks go by and Cam faces his bull-riding fears, he struggles with Ben’s condition. Ben’s traumatic brain injury (TBI) reminds Cam that everyone’s vulnerable, even his heroic big brother. This is a frightening concept for a young teenager, and Cam relies on Grandma and Grandpa to bolster him up.

Cam doesn’t tell his parents or his grandparents that he plans on riding Ugly because he knows they’d stop him. He and Ben plan the whole thing in secret. Cam acts as if he wants to learn bull riding to make Ben proud, and Grandpa takes him to the arena to see bulls in action. Cam tries riding tamer bulls, and although he’s terrified, he’s talented. Grandpa’s pleased, and he suggests that Cam ride seriously once he reaches eighteen.



Cam, of course, doesn’t tell Grandpa that he plans on competing long before then. Ben watches him at the ranch and down at the arena, and he believes Cam has what it takes to win the money. However, Ben’s not usually the one who needs taken care of. He soon feels guilty about the burden he believes he’s placed on the family. Cam rallies him and reminds Ben that it’s OK to let others be heroes.

The big day arrives, and Cam uses a dead cousin’s ID to register for the ride. The organizers are suspicious, and they want to see his birth certificate. Grandma brings the cousin’s birth certificate and doesn’t ask any questions. She’s proud of Cam for what he’s about to do. Cam saddles up and prepares for his debut bull ride.

When Cam rides Ugly, he lasts for over eight seconds. He’s ecstatic because he’ll win the prize money. However, someone recognizes him, revealing that Cam’s not eighteen and that he used a fake ID. Cam’s disqualified and leaves empty-handed. He’s devastated and feels like a failure.



When Cam gets home to the ranch, friends and family rally around him. Once everyone hears what he tried to do, they join together and raise money for Ben, enough to help him cover medical bills and start his own cattle ranch. Cam plans on helping Ben get started, and the whole town comes together in celebration.