Buck Cross, played by Gregg Rainwater, was a half-white, half-Kiowa Indian. In a time when prejudice was a common characteristic, Buck was faced with more difficulties and challenges than any of the other riders.

Buck was born to a Kiowa mother after she was raped by a white man. Because of this, Buck had a hard time trying to figure out which world he belonged in. Growing up he was treated pretty much equal to slave in his mother's village. All of the other Kiowas rejected him because they looked at him as though he were a white man. He ate alone and the others in his village slept with their eyes on his back. Buck had an older half-brother named Red Bear. Red Bear was the only one who accepted Buck and showed him any respect, but still Red Bear would not always stand up for Buck against the other members of the tribe.

While growing up, Buck was promised to a white girl who was raised by the Kiowa tribe after her parents were killed, whose name was Camile; her tribal name was Little Bird. But one day when Buck was away with a hunting party some trappers discovered their village. When Buck and the others returned they discovered that all of the women were killed and that Camile was taken back to the white world. After this, Buck decided that he had to explore the white man's world so that he could find out exactly where he belonged . This only led to more confusion and trouble for Buck.

Somehow, Buck ended up in a mission (orphanage?) school. He soon discovered that he didn't fit in there either. But he took this advantage to learn how to read. But still, he wasn't accepted by anyone. One day while some local boys were beating him up for being a half-breed, Ike McSwain stepped in to stop them. Ever since Ike and Buck have been inseparable. Buck taught Ike how to use sign language to communicate with him and others. Buck found his new family with Ike.

Even though Buck desperately wants to fit in with the white man's world, he still honors his Kiowa heritage. He still carries his beliefs of the sprits and the ways of the Indian, and as Cody found out, Buck is very strong with the spirit. Even later, Red Bear challenges Buck to prove himself as a true Kiowa and Buck does. At this point, he had to decide which side he wanted to be with, and Buck decided to stay with his new family at the Pony Express station.

Buck is very intelligent and well educated. He can speak English, Kiowa, Lakota and Indian Sign. He is considered one of the best scouts in the territory. Whenever there are problems with a local tribe, the townspeople call on Buck for assistance. But still, if trouble does arise, the townspeople unleash their anger out on Buck simply because he is part Indian. Buck has a gentle and sensitive spirit and is always there if one of the other riders are in trouble. He is loyal and trustworthy and he is wise. He cares about his friends deeply. However, there are limits to as far as you can push him. It's bad to have him as an enemy because he will always seek revenge.

Buck was the only left handed rider. He shot with his left hand, but threw his knife with his right hand. His outfit consisted of brown trousers, shirts of various colors, and a black vest. He wore black boots up to the knees with his knife strapped to his left boot. In one episode, we are given Buck's Kiowa name as Little Buck, but then Red Bear refers to him as Running Buck.

As the series came to an end, we were never given a clear view of what lied ahead in Buck's future. With the coming war and as reservations sprang up, we can only assume that he went back to his Kiowa tribe and perhaps moved onto a reservation.

Buck Cross, the half-Kiowa Rider was one of the fan's favorites, as was Gregg Rainwater, the actor who played him.

Gregg Andrew Rainwater was born in the east Michigan city of Flint on February 27, 1966. Like his character Buck, Gregg is part Native American, but of Cherokee-Osage ancestry. He is also of Irish decent. This 5'11" actor likes ultralight gliding, theatre and art museums, singing and photography, and country music.

Gregg got his start acting in local community theatre, appearing continuously throughout elementary school, and in high school productions. He was so taken with acting that he infiltrated a rival high school's drama department and appeared in their plays as well. He also got involved with the music programs of the Warren Youth Chorale and toured the UK with the group.

After high school, Gregg declined a scholarship to study music and theatre at Wayne State University in Detroit so that he could move to LA and start his professional career. He appeared for awhile on the daytime soap "Days Of Our Lives". He also appeared in plays with the "West Coast Ensemble" group and in a rock musical, "'Tis a Pity She's A Whore".

Then came the role of Buck Cross on "The Young Riders", the somewhat mystical half-breed who would often use his knowledge of the ancient teachings of his people to help his friends. He has an acute sense of hearing as well as sight, therefore, he was often aware of approaching danger before his friends and early enough to do something about it. He was also extremely knowledgeable about the traditions and lore of other Plaines tribes. All of these skills made him unique among the Riders and were put to use.

After the show ended he starred in a couple of movies, Street Fighter (1994) & Ocean Tribe (1997). He also made an appearance in the popular series "Walker: Texas Ranger" and appeared in the cartoon "Gargoyles" as a voice actor. Gregg also made a guest appearance in "Promised Land".

When not acting, he works on screenwritting projects.

And if you think you haven't heard from this star in a while, you can catch his voice in Disney's Pocahontas 2 this year as well as an uncredited role in Foreign Correspondents (1999). Many of Gregg's fans are supportive and awaiting any new projects he enters into.

For more information on Gregg Rainwater, please visit IMDB.com.

Information provided by wCw, Ishani, Kathy Savige, & Uminoko Uchida
Pictures provided by Wendy & Ishani