We arrived at Mt. Olivet Cemetery because we wanted to pay our respects to Champion Bull Rider Lane Frost who we have come to admire.
Lane died on the arena floor at the "Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo" in Cheyenne, Wyoming back on July 30, 1989. The CFD Rodeo is the largest rodeo in the U.S. and is known as the "Granddaddy of Them All".Lane had short but extraordinary life. He was very popular and so well liked by the competitors he rode against and the rodeo fans. They nicknamed him the "Rodeo Elvis".
He was polite, kind and helpful to everyone he met, including the bull riders he was competing against, always giving them pointers and helping strangers who did not even know who he was.
This was the last day of the 10 day CFD rodeo and he was in 2nd place. He rode the bull Taking Care of Business. It was raining hard and the arena floor was extremely muddy. He rode TCB for the full 8 seconds and got a high score from the judges.
When he scrambled trying to get on his feet, he was unable to get traction because of the mud and this gave the bull time extra time to circle towards him and hit him in the side.
Rodeo bull fighters could not protect Lane and direct the bull off. The bull had horns but the horns did not penetrate Lane. The force of impact broke ribs and a rib severed an artery. He stood up and walked towards the chutes waving for help and collapse there after on the arena floor, he bled to death within seconds in front of thousands of his adoring fans.
Since then, his bull riding rodeo competitors got together and created the protective vest that all professional cowboys now must wear when riding bulls.
There is so much written about Lane Frost, that I would have to write pages to explain the kind of person he was to everyone that knew him. Just Google him and read all the sites that pertain to him. A movie called "8 Seconds" was made about him and Luke Perry did a very good job impersonating him, talking like him and his mannerisms.Even though Ralph and I did not follow rodeo at the time and did not know of Lane Frost when he was a bull rider, we became Lane Frost fans. We read enough about him and seeing videos of him and of people who knew him, we just became very fond of Lane Frost and his legend.
People leave all kinds of mementos on his headstone, even 25 years later. Ralph and I took a trip out to Cheyenne, WY. to attend the CFD Rodeo in 1990 and 92. There on the rodeo grounds is a bigger than life size bronze monument of Lane Frost riding a bull.
The late great Bull Rider Freckles Brown is buried next to Lane. Freckles rodeo career spanned from 1937 to 1974. He competed in bulldogging, bareback riding, team roping, bull riding, saddle bronc riding and bareback riding.Freckles was the idol and a mentor to Lane Frost and a good family friend to Lane's parents. When Brown died after a 4 year battle with cancer in 1987, Lane and his parents went to Mt. Olivet cemetery for the funeral. Lane said to his parents that the cemetery was beautiful and he wanted to be buried next to Freckles if anything was to happen to him.
Lane won the PRCA World Bull Riding Championship in 1987 after Freckles passed away.
There is a section of the cemetery that is called "Showman's Rest". This entire section is outlined by sculpted tusks elephants on granite pedestals. Most of the headstones are colorfully designed to show their personality and trade of the circus performers.Here is Big John Strong, the Ringmaster. He stood 6'5". He also ate fire and swallowed swords.
William Edmond Ansley was the 5th person to be Buster Brown. He was a 42" dwarf who enjoyed a 27 year career. He promoted Buster Brown Children Shoes with his Boston Terrier, Tige. I remember BB shoes as I am sure most folks my age do. He dawned a blond wig, red suit and hat, knickers, blue tie, white shirt and Buster Brown collar.
The original Marlboro Man has a grave marker there but he is "still living". Philip Morris spotted Max Bryan Robinson, nickname Turk, working on a ranch. He became a spokesman for the company although he never smoked in his life. Philip Morris did not want an actor or a model, 
they wanted a real working cowboy and they liked his weathered good looks and his "cowboy way".Barbara Woodcock was an aerialist and leopard trainer and work with her husband William "Buckles". He was an elephant trainer.
John Carroll joined the circus at age 15. He eventually became an elephant trainer. Upon his death he left his savings to friends to start the John Carroll Showmen's Rest Trust Fund. This would provide gravestones for show folks who could not provide their own.
We arrived that afternoon in English, TX. Our new front yard is on the Badlands Bar 3 Ranch.
Ralph will be competing in this 4 day Cowboy Shooting competition starting Wed. Oct. 29th. A total of 400 shooters will be competing.
So stay tuned and Happy Trails to You.............
No comments:
Post a Comment