"If people remember one thing about Lane
we'd want it to be that he was a kind person
and knew Jesus."
Clyde & Elsie Frost~
Cheyenne 1999 10 Year Tribute
we'd want it to be that he was a kind person
and knew Jesus."
Clyde & Elsie Frost~
Cheyenne 1999 10 Year Tribute
Lane Lives On
Lane’s legacy lives through the young bull riders who aspire to be just like him. Riders who were born long after Lane’s death still look up to him as their hero. That means that they can’t just ride like Lane, but also have to take the time for their fans, and help in any way that they can. Lane also helped to make the rodeo more popular. The Challenge of the Champions is said to be one the greatest rodeo events to ever have happened. It was displayed in Sports Illustrated which got the attention of many readers. The rodeo then started to grow more popular and even started showing on television. He was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1990, he is the youngest cowboy to receive this honor.
Lane Frost is still arguably the best bull rider ever
Prevention
Lane changed rodeo in another way as well. After his death, Cody Lambert designed a protective vest to prevent accidents such as Lane’s. The vest has two main purposes: it absorbs shock and lessens the blow to the rider, it also protects the torso. Along with the idea of the vest came the helmet. Although the helmet is not required it is becoming more and more popular among the top bull riders. Title 25 states, "The new sections are necessary to comply with Health and Safety Code, Chapter 768 (Senate Bill 2505, 81st Legislature Regular Session, 2009) which requires the establishment of standard for protective vests and bull riding helmets for children who participate in rodeos; and requirements for an educational program of safety, including the proper use of protective gear for children planning to participate in rodeos. Research and clinical experience in the sport of bull riding has provided evidence there is a high incidence of head, facial and body injury in bull riders. This sport has been implicated in up to 37% of rodeo injuries and is one of the most dangerous sporting activities of the modern era. In one study, the incidence was found to be 1.5 head and facial injuries per 100 rides. This can be compared with Canadian intercollegiate ice hockey, in which the incidence of concussion was 1.55 per 1,000 athlete exposures and high school football in the United States which as many as 5.6% of high school players will suffer a concussion per season.
Bull Riders are now required to wear protective vests
Lane's Statue
There is a sculpture by Chris Navarro in Frontier Days Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming, of Lane riding a bull. It stands 15 feet high, 11 feet long, and weighs over one ton. The memorial for the statue was held July 24, 1993. This was the first time the Frosts had been in Cheyenne since Lane’s death. Luke Perry also attended, he was working on “8 Seconds” at this time.
Lane's statue in Cheyenne
"8 Seconds"
"The movie "8 Seconds" isn't just for rodeo people.
Clyde and I think it will inspire kids not to give up."
-Elsie Frost
Clyde and I think it will inspire kids not to give up."
-Elsie Frost
Movie Review:
"Luke Perry stars in this biography of the late Lane Frost, a champion bull rider who in 1987 won a rodeo world championship at the tender age of 21. In Eight Seconds (the title refers to the minimum amount of time a rider must stay on a bull in competition), Lane Frost is a young man from Oklahoma who learns to ride, hoping to win the approval of his emotionally distant father. As Lane works his way up the rodeo circuit with his best friend Tuff Hedeman (Stephen Baldwin), he meets Kelly Kyle (Cynthia Geary), a pretty barrel-race rider with whom he falls in love. Lane and Kelly marry, but Lane stubbornly refuses any help from Kelly's wealthy parents, forcing the young couple to live a hand-to-mouth existence, and while Lane's dedication to rodeo and its fans earns him a devoted following, it also keeps him away from Kelly and threatens to sink their relationship. Lane's hard work pays off when he wins the 1987 world championship, but the danger of the sport catches up with him two years later, when he dies as a result of an accident during competition. Country star Vince Gill appears onscreen with his band; keep an eye peeled for a brief appearance by Renee Zellweger, two years before her breakthrough role in Jerry Maguire." ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The Movie vs. Real Life:
Differences
Similarities
"Luke Perry stars in this biography of the late Lane Frost, a champion bull rider who in 1987 won a rodeo world championship at the tender age of 21. In Eight Seconds (the title refers to the minimum amount of time a rider must stay on a bull in competition), Lane Frost is a young man from Oklahoma who learns to ride, hoping to win the approval of his emotionally distant father. As Lane works his way up the rodeo circuit with his best friend Tuff Hedeman (Stephen Baldwin), he meets Kelly Kyle (Cynthia Geary), a pretty barrel-race rider with whom he falls in love. Lane and Kelly marry, but Lane stubbornly refuses any help from Kelly's wealthy parents, forcing the young couple to live a hand-to-mouth existence, and while Lane's dedication to rodeo and its fans earns him a devoted following, it also keeps him away from Kelly and threatens to sink their relationship. Lane's hard work pays off when he wins the 1987 world championship, but the danger of the sport catches up with him two years later, when he dies as a result of an accident during competition. Country star Vince Gill appears onscreen with his band; keep an eye peeled for a brief appearance by Renee Zellweger, two years before her breakthrough role in Jerry Maguire." ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The Movie vs. Real Life:
Differences
- Lane was a Christian, the movie producers did not want to bring God into the movie.
- Clyde Frost was nothing like the man in the movie. Clyde loved Lane supported him in whatever it was he decided to do.
- Although Lane and Kellie did separate for a short time in 1988, it had to do with Lane’s traveling schedule, not cheating.
- Cody Lambert did not write poetry. He also only traveled with Lane and Tuff for a short time. Jim Sharp and Clint Branger traveled with them.
- The Challenge of the Champions was a seven event match-up, not three.
Similarities
- Luke Perry did an amazing job playing the person who Lane was.
- Lane did wear a feather in his hat.
- Although Lane did wave to the crowd after a ride the movie slightly exaggerated it.
- Lane and Kellie were looking for land to build their home, their loan was approved the day of Lane's funeral.
Red Mitchell (Cody Lambert) Stephen Baldwin (Tuff Hedeman)
Luke Perry (Lane Frost)
Luke Perry (Lane Frost)