Ben (Glenn Ford) and Marion (Henry Fonda) are two cowboys who make a meager living breaking wild horses. Their frequent employer Jim (Chill Wills), who always gets the better of them, talks them into taking a nondescript horse in lieu of some of their wages. Ben finds that the horse is un-rideable, he comes up with the idea of taking it to a rodeo and betting other cowhands they cannot ride it.

Rider Kelly Cobb travels to county rodeos to win money so he can buy a patch of land he wants to call his own. One night he rescues trick rider Jackie Adams from the clutches of an amorous rodeo promoter and they form a team and hit the circuit along with sidekick Cool Man.

When a stagecoach guard tries to warn a town of an imminent raid by a band of outlaws, the people mistake him for one of the gang.