"Those 5 years we traveled together I probably
saw more of Lane than I did my wife.
Not a day didn't go by we didn't talk about something"
-Tuff Hedeman
saw more of Lane than I did my wife.
Not a day didn't go by we didn't talk about something"
-Tuff Hedeman
By the time Lane died, Lane and Tuff or Tuff and Lane,
rolled off the tongue easier than either name on its own.
- Kendra Santos
rolled off the tongue easier than either name on its own.
- Kendra Santos
“I met Lane when I was a junior in high school at the 1980 high school finals in Yakima, Wash.,” Tuff recalls. “We both made the short go there. Everybody was already talking about Lane Frost. I thought, ‘So what?’ He was a pretty boy. I wanted to dislike him when I met him. He was better than me and he was the most popular guy in the world. He was cool. But he was really nice. Lane ended up third or fourth, and I got drilled by a Flying Five bull. He hit me in the head, I hung up and he knocked the lenses out of my glasses.”
Lane and Tuff started traveling together in 1985, and had one of the closest friendships in the rodeo. They enjoyed each others company as well as the competition they gave one another. When they weren’t competing at rodeos they would often vacation together along with their wives. “Theirs was a special friendship,” said Tuff’s wife, Tracy, “Lane was a great guy’ he was fun to be around. We got to do a lot with him and his with, Kellie. I can’t say I ever had a friend who was as good a friend as Tuff was to Lane. It was just fun to watch.” After Lane’s accident it was Tuff who he called for, it was Tuff who rode with him in the ambulance, it was Tuff who waited as the doctor did everything they could to save Lane, it was Tuff who called Lane’s parents and Kellie, it was Tuff who cleaned Lane’s chaps and boots, it was Tuff, along with Cody Lambert, who rode home in the airplane with Lane one last time. Loosing Lane changed Tuff in a way that nothing else could. After Lane’s death Tuff became the man that everyone wanted to meet. He didn’t shy away from it though, he started to put more time into the fans, signing every last autograph.
When the 1989 Finals rolled around Tuff announced that he would win it in memory of Lane. During the last round it was between Tuff and Jim Sharp. Jim drew a hard bull, Mr T, and was bucked off. All Tuff had to do was cover his bull and the World Championship would be his. The announcer, Bob Tallman, told the audience that, “He’s not riding alone!” Tuff rode his bull for eight seconds to will the championship that he dedicated to Lane. He then fanned the bull with his hat to keep it bucking, and rode for an additional eight seconds, for Lane. Tuff later remarked, "It was the only time I've ever gotten off a bull with tears running down my face."
Lane and Tuff started traveling together in 1985, and had one of the closest friendships in the rodeo. They enjoyed each others company as well as the competition they gave one another. When they weren’t competing at rodeos they would often vacation together along with their wives. “Theirs was a special friendship,” said Tuff’s wife, Tracy, “Lane was a great guy’ he was fun to be around. We got to do a lot with him and his with, Kellie. I can’t say I ever had a friend who was as good a friend as Tuff was to Lane. It was just fun to watch.” After Lane’s accident it was Tuff who he called for, it was Tuff who rode with him in the ambulance, it was Tuff who waited as the doctor did everything they could to save Lane, it was Tuff who called Lane’s parents and Kellie, it was Tuff who cleaned Lane’s chaps and boots, it was Tuff, along with Cody Lambert, who rode home in the airplane with Lane one last time. Loosing Lane changed Tuff in a way that nothing else could. After Lane’s death Tuff became the man that everyone wanted to meet. He didn’t shy away from it though, he started to put more time into the fans, signing every last autograph.
When the 1989 Finals rolled around Tuff announced that he would win it in memory of Lane. During the last round it was between Tuff and Jim Sharp. Jim drew a hard bull, Mr T, and was bucked off. All Tuff had to do was cover his bull and the World Championship would be his. The announcer, Bob Tallman, told the audience that, “He’s not riding alone!” Tuff rode his bull for eight seconds to will the championship that he dedicated to Lane. He then fanned the bull with his hat to keep it bucking, and rode for an additional eight seconds, for Lane. Tuff later remarked, "It was the only time I've ever gotten off a bull with tears running down my face."