Lane Frost
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Lane Frost (October 12, 1963 in La Junta, Colorado – July 30, 1989 in Cheyenne, Wyoming) was a champion professional bull rider and Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association member, who died in the arena at the 1989 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, of injuries sustained seconds after he dismounted his bull, "Taking Care of Business".
[edit] Early life, Olympics, going professional
He was born in La Junta, Colorado, the son of Clyde and Elsie Frost. He spent his childhood in Vernal, Utah, and his teenage years in Lane, Oklahoma. He showed an interest in rodeo at the age of three, and began riding calves when he was ten. He was taught the art of riding by his father and good friend Freckles Brown, who was a World Champion Bull Rider. In Oklahoma, he was the National High School Bull Riding Champion in 1981. In 1982, he was the Bull Riding Champion of the first Youth National Finals held in Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated from Atoka High School in 1982 and joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and began rodeoing full time.
On January 5, 1985, he married Kelly Kyle, a barrel racer from Quanah, Texas. In 1987, he realized a lifelong dream when he became the PRCA World Champion Bull Rider. That same year, the great bull "Red Rock," owned by Growney Bros. Rodeo Company, was voted Bucking Bull of the Year. In 309 attempts, no one had ever ridden "Red Rock," and in 1988, at the Challenge of Champions, Frost rode "Red Rock" in seven exhibition matches and was successful in four out of seven tries. Frost went on to compete at the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. This was the first time that an exhibition rodeo was held at the Olympics.
[edit] Death and legacy
On July 30, 1989, at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyoming, after completing a successful 85-point ride on a bull named “Taking Care of Business”, Frost landed in the mud. The bull turned and hit him in the side with his horn, breaking some ribs and severing a main artery. Due to excessive internal bleeding, he died on the arena floor before he could be transported to the hospital. Frost actually finished 3rd in the event. As for "Taking Care of Business", he went on to appear in the 1990 National Finals Rodeo.
Frost is buried next to his hero and mentor Freckles Brown at Olivet Cemetery in Hugo, Oklahoma. The Lane Frost Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hugo, Oklahoma is dedicated to his memory. His parents live in Lane, Oklahoma, and travel to many rodeos around the country giving speeches in his memory.
Frost was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado in August of 1990. In 1994, the biopic movie 8 Seconds was released based on Frost's life story. Luke Perry portrayed Frost in the movie. After Lane's untimely death, Cody Lambert, one of his travelling partners, and later a President of Professional Bull Riders (PBR), created the (now) familiar protective vest that most Professional Cowboys wear when riding bulls. The CBR, or "Championship Bull Riding", was founded by another of Lane's partners, Tuff Hedeman. The medical team for the CBR is named after the late Lane Frost.
Frost has been inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, as well as the Oklahoma Sports Museum. Country music star Garth Brooks paid tribute to Frost in his music video for the hit single "The Dance".
