12-year old Ida Clayton (Bailee Madison) lives with her single mother, Elaine (Alicia Witt), but Ida's summer days are boring and full of nothing to do, so she begins sneaking off to rodeos in order to keep herself entertained. Ida's father, a man named Walker whom she never met, is a subject that Elaine refuses to speak about, and is part of the reason why she disapproves of rodeos. When Ida is given the opportunity to tour America with ''The Sweethearts of the Rodeo'', a group of young women who perform at rodeos, Ida takes it, and after several scenes, Elaine approves. Ida quickly befriends the ''Sweethearts'' managers, Terence Parker (James Cromwell) and his daughter, Rebecca (Kathleen Rose Perkins). She sets off on a quest, looking for her father with the help of fellow ''Sweethearts'', troubled, retiring alcoholic, Kansas (Dora Madison Burge), Madison (Leslie-Anne Huff) and Kansas's new lover that Rebecca disapproves of Justin Wood (Jackson Rathbone).