Some books entertain. Some inform. And then there are the rare ones that remind us why we fell in love with the sport in the first place.
Terry Holland’s story is one of those books.
Co-authored by Nanci G. Huyse, this is far more than another cowboy autobiography filled with old scores, road stories, and broken bones. It is the story of a man who devoted his life to professional bull riding without ever sacrificing his faith, his values, or the people who mattered most along the way.
The book is raw, honest, and deeply personal. At times, it feels less like reading a biography and more like sitting across the table from an old cowboy listening to him tell the unfiltered truth about what this life really costs.
From the opening pages, Holland takes readers inside the unforgiving world of professional bull riding – a world built on pain, sacrifice, grit, faith, and an obsession with eight seconds that few people outside the arena will ever fully understand.
He never glamorizes the danger, nor does he pretend the journey was easy.
Instead, he pulls back the curtain and reveals the bruises behind the buckles.
That honesty is what separates this book from so many others written about the sport.
FROM HOMEMADE PRACTICE BARRELS TO A 20-YEAR PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Long before the bright lights of professional bull riding, Terry Holland was simply a young kid from Carthage, Texas, born on September 9, 1959, chasing a dream that would shape the course of his life.
Holland rode professionally from 1979 to 1997. Like many cowboys of his generation, there were no million-dollar training facilities or sports psychologists waiting around the corner. There was hard ground, rough stock in the pasture, and eventually a homemade practice barrel Holland built himself – an invention that would evolve into a business recognized throughout the bull riding world as Mighty Bucky.
That part of the story struck a personal chord with me.
Growing up, I had a Mighty Bucky myself, and like countless kids who dreamed of becoming bull riders, I stayed on that thing until my head hit the ground – sometimes twice.
And let me tell you, that ground was awfully hard.
But I loved every second of it.
That’s what makes this book so relatable to anyone who has ever truly loved bull riding. Once this sport gets into your blood, it never completely leaves you.It becomes part of who you are.
Holland captures that feeling better than almost anyone I have ever read.
The book also does an outstanding job exploring the technical side of bull riding. Holland emphasizes the importance of understanding animal behavior, preparation, timing, balance, and mental toughness.
In a sport where the difference between glory and disaster is often measured in fractions of a second, those details matter. The book never shies away from that reality.
What impressed me most was Holland’s ability to explain those lessons in a way that speaks to both lifelong bull riders and readers who may never have climbed aboard a bull. Whether he’s discussing the mental side of competition, the importance of preparation, or the respect every great cowboy must have for the animal beneath him, his experiences carry the weight of someone who lived them rather than simply observed them. That authenticity is present throughout the book.
THE MOST SURPRISING PART OF THE BOOK
One of the biggest surprises was learning that Terry Holland spent nearly 20 years competing professionally without ever qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo.
When you hear Terry talk about the sport, teach the sport, and analyze the sport – and when you see the respect he commands throughout the rodeo world – you naturally assume you’re talking about someone who made multiple trips to the National Finals Rodeo.
Instead, his career unfolded just outside that spotlight.
Had Holland qualified between 1979 and 1984, he would have competed at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. From 1985 through the final season of his career in 1997, the National Finals Rodeo had moved to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, where it remains today.
Ironically, that reality makes his story even more compelling.
Modern sports often measure greatness by championships, statistics, and qualification records.
Bull riding has never been that simple.
Some cowboys become legends not because of gold buckles, but because of their toughness, longevity, character, sacrifice, and the respect they earn from the people around them.
Terry Holland is one of those cowboys.
For two decades, he climbed aboard some of the rankest bulls in the country knowing every ride carried the risk of injury, financial hardship, disappointment—or worse.
Yet every time he was knocked down, he climbed back aboard.
That kind of resilience cannot be measured by a qualification record, and this book captures that truth beautifully.
THE FIRST TIME I MET TERRY HOLLAND
One of my favorite parts of reading this book was remembering the first time I met Terry Holland.
It happened in 2004 when the PBR Built Ford Tough Series came to my hometown of Springdale, Arkansas, for the Pennzoil Invitational.
That night has stayed with me ever since.
The arena was electric from the opening introductions, and among the stars competing was one of the greatest bull riders in history – Adriano Moraes.
Already a two-time PBR World Champion, Moraes would later capture a then-unprecedented third world title in 2006, becoming both the first three-time World Champion in PBR history and, at 36 years old, the oldest rider ever to win the gold buckle.
That evening, Adriano climbed aboard a bull named Hotel California – a bull who had never been ridden.
Adriano did what legends do and covered him.
When the score flashed 89.5 points, I couldn’t believe it. In my mind, it was a 90-point ride.
A few moments later, I saw Terry Holland walking by.
I introduced myself and told him I thought they had underscored Adriano.
Terry smiled, laughed, shook my hand, and replied, “Well, I agree. Blame it on the other judge.”
I’ve never forgotten that exchange. Terry took a moment to make a young fan feel like his opinion mattered.
That simple conversation reinforced everything I read about Terry Holland’s character in this book.
THE GOLDEN DAYS OF THE CBR
Reading Terry Holland’s story also brought back memories of another era of bull riding that I still miss – the early days of Championship Bull Riding.
I followed the CBR from the very beginning all the way through the years before parts of the organization were merged into PBR, including the Million Dollar Bull Team Challenge, and it remains one of my favorite chapters in bull riding history.
The inaugural CBR World Championship in 2002 was won by Mike White. Before claiming that title, White had already captured the 1999 PRCA World Championship.
Years later, Sage Kimzey would become the only three-time CBR World Champion. Combined with his seven PRCA World Championships, Kimzey’s résumé includes 10 world championships across the sport’s two premier rodeo organizations.
Kimzey still doesn’t receive enough recognition for that accomplishment. When you consider everything he achieved in both the PRCA and CBR, you’re looking at one of the most accomplished bull riders the sport has ever produced.
One of the most interesting aspects of Holland’s connection to the CBR is several years he spent providing play-by-play analysis for CBR broadcasts on the Outdoor Channel.
That experience gave him a unique perspective, allowing him to see bull riding not only through the eyes of a competitor, but also through the lens of someone responsible for telling the stories of the cowboys, the bulls, and the unforgettable moments that made the sport special for fans watching at home.
It’s another reminder that Terry Holland’s impact on bull riding reaches well beyond the eight seconds he spent aboard a bull.
Books like Terry Holland’s remind readers that bull riding has always been about the cowboys: their journeys, sacrifices, and the people who dedicated their lives to building this sport into what it is today.
FAITH, FAMILY, AND THE TRUE MEANING OF SUCCESS
What separates Terry Holland’s story from many sports biographies is its spiritual and emotional honesty.
He writes openly about how his Christian faith became the foundation that carried him through life’s valleys – not just its victories.
And in bull riding, there are plenty of valleys.
Career-threatening injuries. Financial struggles. Long nights on the road. Loneliness. Pressure. Fear. Pain.
Holland doesn’t hide from any of it.
Instead, he shows how faith, prayer, and family became the anchors that kept him grounded when the demands of the sport threatened to consume everything else.
Perhaps the most moving part of the book is the love he has for his family.
You can feel it in every chapter. This was never a man chasing fame for the sake of recognition. He was a cowboy striving to honor God, provide for the people he loved, and make the most of the gifts he had been given.
That message resonates far beyond bull riding.
One passage, in particular, struck me personally – the idea of refusing to abandon something God places in your heart.
I’ve spent much of my own life trying to explain that feeling to people who have never understood why this sport means so much to those of us who love it.
To many, bull riding is simply a dangerous sport.
To those who live it, it’s much more than that.
It becomes part of your identity, part of your purpose.
And sometimes, regardless of how difficult life becomes, you simply cannot walk away from what you believe God has called you to pursue.
That’s one of the book’s greatest strengths. It doesn’t simply tell Terry Holland’s story. It helps explain why so many cowboys never stop chasing the dream.
MORE THAN A BULL RIDING BOOK
At its heart, this isn’t simply a book about bull riding. Bull riding is the backdrop.
But this is a story about resilience, purpose, identity, and learning how to endure failure without allowing failure to define you.
Terry Holland’s journey reminds readers that championships and trophies are only part of what makes a cowboy successful.
The true measure of a man is revealed in how he responds to adversity when nobody is cheering, nobody is watching, and life keeps throwing him into the dirt.
Terry Holland got back up every single time.
That’s why this book matters, and not just to rodeo fans or to bull riders, but to anyone who has ever fought through hardship while refusing to abandon the dream God placed in their heart.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Some books entertain readers for a weekend. Others stay with them for a lifetime.
Terry Holland’s story belongs in the second category.
It captures the spirit of bull riding in a way few books ever have, reminding readers why this sport remains one of the purest tests of courage in athletics while revealing the emotional and spiritual cost of dedicating your life to the arena.
It is unquestionably one of the most honest and heartfelt books I’ve ever read about the cowboy way of life. In my opinion, it firmly belongs among the five best bull riding books I’ve ever read.
If you appreciate the history, grit, faith, family values, and brotherhood that define the cowboy way of life, this is a book that deserves a place on your bookshelf.
A special thank you to Billy Huckaby for the opportunity to review the incredible collection of books available through CowboyBookworm.com.
The books, stories, and legends featured there celebrate what I believe is the greatest sport on Earth – bull riding – and the greatest way of life on Earth: being a cowboy.
If you would like to purchase a copy of this book, please visit www.CowboyBookworm.com.