8 Seconds of Glory: The Story of Lane Frost and His Tragic Death

 

Who was Lane Frost?

The late American professional rodeo cowboy Lane Clyde Frost, was born in La Junta, Colorado USA, on 12 October 1963, meaning that Libra was his zodiac sign. He competed in the professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) as a specialized bull rider, and won the World Championship in 1987; Lane was posthumously inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Education and early life

Lane was raised in Lapoint, Utah alongside his younger brother Cody and older sister Robin, by their mother Elsie who was a housewife, and father Clyde who was also a cowboy, specialized in saddle bronc and bareback riding.

Lane was only six years old when he began riding dairy calves, and only 10 when he started entering competitions and won his first award and two others at that for calf riding, calf roping and bareback riding. He studied at Atoka High School, and was mostly into wrestling during his time there, although he was also passionate about playing soccer and football.

Lane matriculated in 1982, while he’d already been a 1981 National High School Bull Riding Champion and a 1982 Youth National Finals’ Bull Riding Champion.

Career as a cowboy

Lane joined PRCA in 1982, and was 24 when he became their World Champion Bull Rider in 1987; Red Rock was named the Bucking Bull of the Year, with 309 attempts to ride him and zero successful, until Lane went on to ride him in 1988, succeeding in four of his seven tries. Lane entered the special competition Challenge of the Champions, in which he rode Red Rock at seven showdowns across the West; for the event, Red Rock was brought out of retirement. The same year saw him compete at the Rodeo ’88 Challenge Cup.

Death and legacy

Lane had just completed riding the bull Takin’ Care of Business on 30 July 1989 at Cheyenne Frontier Days, however, he landed in the mud upon dismounting. The bull turned and pushed Lane against the floor with his right horn, breaking several ribs; although Lane’s life was not in danger at that particular moment, after he got up and then fell down on the ground, his broken ribs punctured his lungs and heart. He was pronounced dead upon arriving at Memorial Hospital, and was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery next to American rodeo cowboy Warren Granger ‘Freckles’ Brown, who had been Lane’s mentor and hero.

The bull Takin’ Care of Business could then have been seen taking part in the 1990 National Finals Rodeo, and was retired following the event.

Following Lane’s death, American former professional rodeo cowboy invented the specific vest that was to protect professional cowboys from similar situations, and the organization Professional Bull Riders (PBR) made it mandatory to wear it. The year 1994 saw the release of the biographical sports movie about Lane’s life, entitled “8 Seconds”. It was directed by John G. Avildsen, starred Luke Perry, Stephen Baldwin and James Rebhorn, and follows Lane’s marriage and friendships. PBR has been awarding the Lane Frost/Brent Thurman Award since 1996, while the Lane Frost Health and Rehabilitation Center was built in his memory.

Several musicians have dedicated songs to Lane, including the song “The Dance” by Garth Brooks, the song “A Smile Like That” by Randy Schmutz and the song “Red Rock” by Smokin’ Armadillos. Lane’s parents allowed Lane to be featured on the cover of the book “Cowboy Bible: The Living New Testament”, while the documentary movie about him “The Story of Lane Frost and Red Rock: The Challenge of the Champions” was released in 2008.

American professional stock car racing driver Austin Reed Dillon was involved in a serious car crash at the 2015 Daytona International Speedway of the NASCAR Cup Series; upon coming out of his car unharmed, Austin waved to the crowd in a similar manner to Lane’s, and later stated in an interview that he had done it to honor Lane.

Awards and accolades

Lane was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1990, and into the PBR Heroes and Legends in 1999.

The year 2000 saw him inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the year 2008 into both the National Cowboy &Western Heritage Museum and Rodeo Hall of Fame. Lane was inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame in 2003, and both the Bull Riding Hall of Fame and the Molalla Walk of Fame in 2017.

Love life and relationships

Lane rarely spoke about his love life in public, but it’s known that he was a married man at the time of his death. Lane exchanged vows with non-celebrity American Kellie Kyle in 1984, in a large ceremony attended by many of their friends and family members; Kellie and Lane met in 1979 at the National High School Rodeo Finals, when he was 15 years old. They separated in 1988, as Lane’s career was taking its toll on their marriage, but the two managed to reconcile in the following a couple of months.

Kellie married her second husband Mike Macy in 1993; he’s also a professional cowboy, and has won the National Finals Rodeo twice.

Interesting facts and hobbies

Lane was to venture into the film industry upon his return from the event Cheyenne Frontier Days, as he was cast to work as a stunt double in the movie “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.

He wanted to build a new ranch for him and his wife, and had already applied for a loan when he died.

Lane was passionate about travelling, which was perhaps why he and Kellie waited to have children together, as he wanted to be there for them.

He loved to watch movies starring Clint Eastwood, and some of his favorites were “Dirty Harry”, “For a Few Dollars More” and “A Fistful of Dollars”.

Height, eyes and wealth

Lane was 25 at the time of his death, so would’ve been 59 today. He had brown eyes and hair, was 5ft 11ins (1.8m) tall and weighed around 160lbs (72kgs).

Lane’s net worth was estimated at over $1.5 million at the time of his death.

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