Set just before the Great Depression in America a teenager lands a job on a struggling horse farm. The only way for the farm to survive is to enter two of their horses and riders into a long distance horse race offering a large amount of money for the winner. Due to a series of misfortunes, Jon, ends up as the sole rider for the farm on a horse regarded as a renegade, untrainable.

A freak accident, where both horse and rider are struck by natural lightning during the race allows Jon and Lightning to mentally communicate with each other. This aids them in their fight to continue the race against high odds. The setbacks before are nature, snowstorms, fire, extremes of heat and cold and a group of dishonest cowboys

intending to win the race any way they can.

Jon is helped by many on his journey, including his long lost father. With the interaction between boy and horse they are able to overcome all of the obstructions placed before them