After the death of his father, proud young Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) sets out to become his own man. Taking a job with horse rancher Harrison (Kirk Douglas), Craig is treated poorly by the more experienced cowboys, but wins the heart of the rancher's daughter, Jessica (Sigrid Thornton), when he helps her break a high-strung colt and later saves her life. When he's unfairly blamed for the loss of an expensive horse, Craig fights to restore his honor and prove that he's worthy of Jessica's hand.