Lane Clyde Frost was an American athlete rodeo who specialized in bull riding. Born on 12th October 1963 to American parents, he was the second of three children. Lane started riding little dairy calves on the family dairy farm in Randlett, UT, when he was 5 or 6. He was 9 years old when he first rode a bull. He was advised to ride only calves and steers until his bones were fully developed, Lane listened to him, and finally, at age 15, he started riding bulls regularly.
Lane won his first rodeo award at the age of 10 in 1974. Initially, his parents had some apprehensions about his riding the bulls, but they never discouraged him and helped him in any way possible.
He was also very good at wrestling and participated in and won several matches in junior high school. After his family moved to Oklahoma, he became the national high school bull riding champion in 1981.
After graduating from high school, lane joined PRCA (Professional rodeo cowboys association) in 1982 and began bull riding full time. Five years, at the age of 24, he became the PRCA world champion.
In 1987, the bull named “red rock,” owned by Growney Bros. was voted Bucking Bull of the Year. In 309 attempts, no one managed to ride him, but in 1988, at the Challenge of the Champions, Frost successfully managed to ride him four out of seven in an exhibition match.
(A bull used in American bull riding competitions is called a bucking bull. They usually weigh 1500 pounds and are mixed breed bulls, selected for their tendency to act aggressively when someone rides them. They are considered athletes and begin their careers at two or three, and their last age to participate is usually ten.)
In 1985 Frost married a barrel racer from Texas named Kellie kyle. In 1987, Lane has declared the PRCA World Champion bull rider, and in 1990 he was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. He was the only rider who was able to ride red rock for more than eight seconds and manage to score points.
1. “Don’t be afraid to go after what you want to do and what you want to be. But don’t be afraid to be willing to pay the price.”
For all of us who dream big and have goals, what better line to motivate us? Also, coming from someone who has lived precisely that kind of life makes it more inspirational. Initially, Lane’s parents were not so approving of his rodeoing career, and rightly so, but they never came in his way. Lane dreamt big and went out to achieve that dream.
A profession like that does not come without a price, and Lane paid that price at a very young age with his life, but that does not mean he did not live a whole life. He left a legacy behind and is a role model for many in the rodeoing community. Like his life, any dream or career comes with its set of problems, and one should be ready to pay the price to reap the fruits of that life.
2. “A big part of winning is having lots of good luck. And I think a good competitor makes his own luck. That’s why he is a winner. Luck to me is lots of determination, hard work, faith in myself, and God.”
“Luck favors those who believe in themselves,” I think this quote fits beautifully with Lane’s this quote. To achieve anything in any field requires a lot of hard work, willingness to put in extra effort, determination, and perseverance. Lane was a Christian and believed in God, so he also believed God brought him good luck. Luck is not something that happens to you accidentally, it happens our own will with our hard work and determination, and that is what Lane believed and taught us.
3. “It’d be the thrill of anyone’s bull riding career to ride Red Rock. Like when Freckles Brown rode Tornado.”
The red rock was a very famous American bucking bull used in rodeos. Many riders attempted to ride red rock but failed to stay on it for eight seconds to score their points. The total attempts made were 309 before Lane managed to gain points riding that bull. The red rock was also chosen as the bucking bull of the year at PCRA in 1987. Lane successfully rode him four times out of the seven, which he tried in an exhibition match. No doubt it must be a thrilling experience to ride that bull, and it just shows how talented Lana Frost was.
4. “The boy who chooses to love me must also love my horses.”
This line by lane frost shows how much he loved his profession. He loved to ride ever since he was a kid, he rode calves and steers until he was of an age where he could ride bulls without any danger, and for someone who has been around animals his whole life, it comes naturally that if you have to love the man, you must love his profession.
5. “Every sleepless night spent in the barn, every early morning to do hay, rain snow, or 110 in the shade is worth every minute.”
It is often said that you see the man and his glory, not the struggles behind it. Every success story and a successful person has a story to tell where they put a lot of hours, minutes, and hard work to reach where they are. They experience a lot of failures and setbacks before they finally experience success. Many tiring and endless days usually go by before one reaches the top. A lot goes by without being seen; failure, pain, and hard work, but one must not be afraid of them and strive until they succeed.
6. “True cowboys are the ones who aren’t afraid to get dirty.”
Rodeoing is a profession that involves riding a bull whose instinct is to “leap, plunge and spin” whenever a human ride it. Hence it makes no sense if you are afraid to get yourself dirty while riding. If so, then rodeoing is not the path for you. Being in that environment means being connected to nature and embracing it in all ways possible.
7. “I guess it’s like bull riding. You gotta stay on and try not to get bucked off.”
This line was from the movie “8 seconds,” released on 25th February 1994, telling the life and legacy of Lane Frost. In this movie, the actor who played Lane on the screen said this line while commenting on marriage, and it has a bit humorous touch to it, but it is so true. Like bull riding, you just have to do your best and leave the rest to fate.
DEATH
In 1989 on 30th July, Lane participated in the Cheyenne rodeo competition. After successfully gaining many points by riding on a bull named “takin’ care of business,” he was kicked off by the bull and landed on the ground. The bull turned and hit him in the back with his horn which severely damaged his ribs, but no one took it seriously as he got up on his feet and asked for help. It was not until he collapsed that people ran towards him. Due to the sudden collapse, his broken ribs punctured his heart and lungs, and he became unconscious. After that, he was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead at 25. He was buried in Oklahoma near his idol, Freckles Brown. He came third in that competition.
LEGACY
After Frost’s death, Cody Lambert, one of his friends who founded the professional bull rider’s community, created the protective jacket that professional bull riders now wear while riding. In fact, in 1996, it was declared necessary for bull riders to wear a vest while competing.
In 1994, a biopic based on Frost’s life was released called “8 seconds”. His parents run a bible academy in his memory, and he has inspired and is an idol for many bull riders worldwide.
Lane Frost inspires many riders today, a legend who lived big and died young. A strong-willed individual who believed in God and worked hard to achieve his goal, Frost deserves every bit of success and fame that came his way. Even though he lived a relatively short life, he achieved much more. He lived for bull riding and died doing what he loved. Even after so many years of his death, his legacy continues to live, and he is alive in the memories of many who loved him and looked up to him. Several bull riding athletes later pay him tributes and say that Lane was an inspiration to them.