Sports In The Making

Abe Morris - Professional Bull Rider, Rodeo Announcer & Baker

Episode Summary

Abe Morris was one of the few black professional bull riders in the 1990's and the first African American to earn his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) announcer's card which led to him announcing rodeo for Prime Sports Network and Fox Sports. He shares his experiences growing up in the rodeo culture, discrimination and some stories as an announcer. He's also the author of two autobiographies and has translated his passion into baking his Cowboy Chute Out Cookies.

Episode Notes

2:56 - What Abe’s been doing during Covid.
4:35 - How Abe started his Chocolate Chip Cookie business.
5:39 - How his cookies have become very popular at rodeos.
6:46 - What the secret recipe for his cookies are.
8:03 - How Abe started bull riding as a young kid in New Jersey.
9:45 - When did he realize he wanted to ride bulls as a career.
10:35 - How he was perceived in rodeo as a black bull rider and how some of the football players reacted to him being in rodeo.
13:31 - How the football team reacted when they came to watch him.
15:32 - When a student wrote an article on Abe, how he handled it.
17:52 - The night after the newspaper article came out Abe had a rodeo and he had to walk through a cheering group.
20:05 - What Abe’s experience was like in the rodeo culture being the only black man on the professional circuit.
22:48 - How Abe felt that the judges may have had some prejudice when judging his rides.
25:54 - How some of the best African American bull riders may have helped influence how he rode bulls.
27:34 - How in an individual sport Abe and other cowboys travel from rodeo to rodeo.
30:14 - What does wearing a buckle mean to a bull rider?
33:09 - What the future is for black cowboys in the sport.
34:22 - On whether there was any interest in bull riding by black cowboys.
36:51 - How Abe got his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Announcers Card to announce rodeos and how he began working for Prime Sports Network and Fox Sports
38:31 - How he called rodeo events as an announcer.
How he worked with some of the great bull riders of all time (Tuff Hedeman, Ty Murray, Gary Leffew, Cody Custer) including Lane Frost who the movie “8-seconds” was made after.
40:19 - Abe was one of the last people to interview Lane Frost before he was killed by a bull.
42:12 - He explains what happened before and after.
45:17 - How Abe feels like he contributed to educating fans about rodeo.
46:48 - What should fans pay attention to when they attend a rodeo or on television and how technique is a key factor for riding a bull effectively.
49:14 - Abe lists some of the great current bull riders in the PBR and the PRCA.
50:18 - What Abe’s book, “My Cowboy Hat Still Fits” is about.
52:09 - What went into writing Abe’s book.
54:57 - How he’s planning on another autobiography and how he’s focusing on his cookie business.
57:22 - How his cookie sell out quickly at rodeo events.
58:52 - Best advice Abe’s been given as a bull rider and an author.
1:01:54 - Best advice he can give on managing multiple projects.