PublicationProRodeo Sports News - March 22, 2019

Abe Morris’ first trip to the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Pocatello, Idaho, was in 1987. He returned in 1989, the same year he won the Mountain States Circuit bull riding title. Now this New Jersey native has transitioned from bull riding to baking cookies. James Fain photo

BY MATT NABER A s the title of his book says, Abe Morris’ cowboy hat still fits – though he may need to switch to a chef ’s hat. The former bull rider is expanding his cookie-baking hobby into a business. For the last few months, Morris has been baking and selling homemade chocolate chip cookies from his home in Aurora, Colo. “I’m amazed at how much people like my cookies,” the 62-year-old cowboy said. Morris started riding bulls when he was 8 years old at the Cowtown Rodeo in his home state of New Jersey alongside his cousins Gene, Jimmy Lee andWillie EdWalker. Morris, Jimmy Lee andWillie Ed all grew up to compete in the PRCA. Their love of rodeo took Morris and Gene Walker out west, where Morris enrolled at the University of Wyoming on a rodeo scholarship. “They (the students) didn’t believe me when I told them I rode bulls, Abe Morris

From bulls to baking chocolate chip cookies

but then I showed them some photo albums and they all wanted to meet me,” Morris said. “They didn’t know black cowboys even existed.” ACCOMPLISHED PRO Morris joined the PRCA in 1977 and became the first African American to get a PRCA announcer card in 1982. In a 1987 interview with ProRodeo Sports News, Morris said his proudest accomplishment came at Wyoming in 1978. “When I went to college, I was the shy kid from back east,” Morris told PSN. “It was before Charles Sampson hit the scene, and people didn’t believe there was such a thing as a black cowboy. College rodeo helped me meet people and make friends. Once I became known as the black cowboy bull rider from back east, I was an instant hit with the other students.” Morris qualified for the Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo eight times and won some of the biggest rodeos in the Rockies, including: • 1988 –The Elizabeth (Colo.) Stampede

ProRodeo Sports News 3/22/2019

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