EUROPEAN COWBOY is a book about a close-knit community of young cowboys who practice 'bull riding', part of the classic (American) rodeo and also the most dangerous sport in the world. During the summer months, these men travel across Belgium, France and Italy to participate in local rodeos. In doing so, they risk their lives trying to stay on a bucking bull for eight seconds. For most of them, bull riding is much more than a sport; it is part of a lifestyle in which they strive for a sincere life in which man and beast live together. In part, their lifestyle also rests on the ideal image of 'the Cowboy' as we collectively remember it from the mythical American West. In 'European Cowboy', elements of this mythical cowboy are combined with the harsh reality of individual dreams, friendship and vulnerabilities of the real cowboys from Europe.