Against the wishes of his widowed mother, seventeen year-old Josh Timmons leaves her and his sisters behind to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a cowboy. A remarkable roping talent earns him a job on a cattle drive from New Mexico to the Texas Panhandle under the leadership of famous cattle baron Charles Goodnight. The dark side of Josh's ambition is a hidden desire to one day avenge his father's murder, but the realities of the trail make all his desires much more difficult than he had ever imagined. Josh battles the pressures of being a rookie cowboy, the discomforts of riding drag, and the hazzards of inexperience, but the spirit of Goodnight's amazing lead steer, Old Blue, helps Josh face the toughest of trials, and the richest of rewards.