Based on the life of bronc rider Doughbelly Price, The Diamond Hitch tells the story of Dewey Jones, western cowman and rodeo hooligan, as he travels the circuit throughout the Southwest in search of that one big purse that will punch his ticket out of rodeo bumming and into a more normal life. O'Rourke effectively evokes the sights, sounds and smells of the cowboy way presenting an unvarnished glimpse into this vanished way of life.