ProRodeo Sports News - October 30, 2020

continually had to change the story’s lead in order to get that important news item to the newspaper. My counterpart, the late Ed Knocke, faced the same type of challenges when he covered the NFR live at night for the Dallas Morning News . But with the Wrangler NFR at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, this year (Dec. 3-12), reporters who file stories for publications in the Central Time Zone obviously can meet local late- night deadlines a lot easier than they would in Las Vegas. There are other great memories of covering the Wrangler NFR such as covering Tuff Hedeman’s decision to in effect turn out the notorious world champion bull Bodacious in 1995. Tuff, who had earned three PRCA world titles, had had a collision with Bodacious that shattered facial bones at another organization’s finale earlier in the year in Las Vegas, and Tuff had decided that he would never attempt to ride the bull again. But Tuff drew Bodacious at the NFR. If he turned out the bull, he would get a zero for that night and also a goose egg for the next round, according to the rules. So, Tuff found a way to work around it by mounting Bodacious in the bucking chute and then calling for the gate to be opened. As Bodacious exited into the arena, a person on the back of the chute immediately yanked him off the bull. By using that strategy, Tuff received a zero only for that night. I got the scoop on Tuff ’s plans by calling him at his room at the Gold Coast Hotel during the afternoon before the performance. He graciously explained what he was going to do. It was an unusual story that captivated my editor in Fort Worth who put the write-up on the front page of the daily sports section. Here was this romping, stomping, tough-as-rawhide cowboy who had decided to throw in the towel when it came to taking on Bodacious. There have been other great storylines at the Wrangler NFR ranging from Jim Sharp becoming the first cowboy to stay on all 10 bulls in 1988 to Ty Murray clinching a then-record seventh all-around world title in 1998 to Trevor Brazile snaring a then-record 24th gold buckle when he clinched the 2018 all-around world championship with a clutch tie-down roping run in

Round 10.

With the Wrangler NFR featuring the best riders and top-of-the-line bucking stock, there’s the potential for members of the media to have the privilege of covering a historical story any night of the week! I’ve also covered historical rides outside the NFR. One saddening situation was witnessing the fatality of Lane Frost at Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days in 1989 when he died of internal injuries. He was killed by a bull that he had ridden for prize money by being struck by the bull’s horn when he was on the ground after the ride. I had briefly visited with Lane in the Justin Sportsmedicine trailer before the Sunday afternoon performance. When it was Lane’s turn to ride, I was near the roping chute area interviewing former world champion Chris Lybbert who had fared well in tie-down roping that late July day. But I remember pausing and watching Lane. After he had been hit by the bull, he got up and then waived for help and then wilted into the soggy soil during an afternoon of oyster-gray skies and drizzle. But I was not alarmed because from a distance it looked like he had been roughed up. So, I didn’t feel a strong sense of urgency to go check it out. But when I walked back to the bucking-chute area, Lane was on a stretcher. Soon, someone said that they had heard he didn’t have brainwaves. Later in the day, we received the official word that he had been pronounced dead at 25. I have to give a lot of credit to Lane’s widow, Kellie, and Lane’s parents, Clyde and Elsie Frost, for diligently working to extend his legacy and sharing his Christian testimony as well as their own faith. The Hollywood movie, “8 Seconds,” about Lane’s life certainly helped rodeo gain wider exposure. And that’s been my mission as a writer over the years, to help rodeo gain greater publicity. I’ve been saddened to see conventional local newspapers neglect covering the sport in areas of the country where there’s noticeable interest in rodeo. So, I set goals years ago to land accurate and articulate rodeo stories on the sports pages of newspapers, and it’s been one fulfilling ride!

PRCA ProRodeo file photo The initial press area at the Thomas & Mack Center (pictured) offered cramped quarters. Globe Life Field will have a state-of-the art press room.

ProRodeo Sports News 10/30/2020

ProRodeo.com

45