Abe Morris papers, 1980-2020

Abe Morris (1956-) was one of the first African American bull riders to compete at the professional level. Born and raised in Woodstown, New Jersey, he began his bull riding career at the Cowtown Rodeo before moving west to attend the University of Wyoming on both academic and rodeo scholarships. As a member of the University’s rodeo team, Morris competed in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and became a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). During his time at the University of Wyoming, he won the bull riding title at the 1978 Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo. After graduating in 1980 with a degree in Business Management, Morris continued to compete professionally, participating in the Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo and the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo. His professional bull riding career ended in 1994 due to a hip injury. Morris is also notable for being the first African American to hold a PRCA announcer’s card, working as a broadcast commentator for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo for nine years. Post-injury, he stayed involved in the rodeo world by writing for Humps N’ Horns Bull Riding News and later published his memoir My Cowboy Hat Still Fits in 2005, detailing his life on the rodeo circuit.