Aaron Watson Wrote “July In Cheyenne” For Lane Frost’s Mother Because She Was Upset That The Movie “8 Seconds” Left Out His Faith

A little part of every heart of every rodeo fan died there in the rain and the mud in July in Cheyenne.

Yesterday marked 36 years since the tragic death of rodeo legend Lane Frost, the 26-year old world champion bull rider who lost his life while competing at Cheyenne Frontier Days on July 30, 1989.

Frost, whose father Clyde competed on the rodeo circuit as a saddle bronc and bareback rider himself, got his start in the rodeo early in life and was winning awards by the age of 10. After moving to Oklahoma, he won the National High School Bull Riding Championship in 1981, and by joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1982 after graduating from high school.

By 1984, Frost qualified for his first National Finals Rodeo, and just three years later he became the PRCA World Champion bull rider at the NFR.

In 1988, the cowboy’s legend grew even more when he became the first rider to successfully ride Red Rock, a 13-year old bull that was undefeated in 309 attempts to ride him. During what was dubbed the “Challenge of the Champions,” Frost managed to last the full 8 seconds and become the first rider to ever conquer Red Rock, scoring an 8-second ride on 4 of their 7 matchups.

But what was seen as one of the most legendary rodeo careers of all time was brought to a sudden and tragic end the next year while Frost was competing in Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world’s oldest and largest outdoor rodeo. After a successful ride on a bull named Takin’ Care Of Business, Frost dismounted and landed on his knees in the mud. The bull then turned and knocked him down before hitting him in the back with his horn.

The hit broke his ribs and punctured an artery, and when Frost was able to stand up and signal for help before falling back to the ground, it is assumed (because no autopsy was done) that the broken ribs punctured his heart and lungs.

Frost was posthumously inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, and in 1989 his friend and fellow bull rider Tuff Hedeman paid tribute to Frost at Frontier Days when he rode his bull for an extra 8 seconds in memory of Lane, en route to his second NFR world championship that year.

The life and death of the legendary bull rider was the subject of the 1994 movie 8 Seconds a few years later. But apparently, Frost’s mother wasn’t happy that the movie left out an important part of his life: His faith.

Back in 2012, Texas country legend Aaron Watson included a tribute to Lane Frost on his album Real Good Time with his song “July In Cheyenne (Song For Lane’s Momma).” And he revealed that it was inspired not only by Lane’s faith, but also by his own personal loss.

In October 2011, Watson and his wife lost their newborn daughter, Julia. And as Watson admitted during an interview with the Wyoming Tribute Eagle, he didn’t really have any interest in getting back on stage:

“After that, the last thing I wanted to do was get on stage and play to people having a good time. I hung my guitar up for a long time. I was having trouble functioning and taking care of my three kids and the family I still had here. I asked God to give me a sign to continue writing and signing.”

Well around that time, Watson came across the movie 8 Seconds and the story of Lane Frost, and related to the heartbreak of Lane’s mother losing a child. And he came across a quote from Frost’s mother, Elsie, that stuck with him:

“This was before I had any relationship with her, and it said, ‘Lane was a world champion bull rider, but that was not his greatest achievement in his life. His greatest achievement came a year before he died, when he asked Jesus to become his savior.’

I was touched by the boldness and simple truth of that.”

Watson decided to write a song for her, but he had no intention of actually recording “July In Cheyenne” until he saw the reception that it received when he played it live. He ended up including it on his album, which ended up reaching #9 on the country charts, which was at that point the highest charting album to date for the Texas country star who was just breaking out into the mainstream.

The song has since become synonymous with tributes to Frost, and Watson has said it’s an emotional one to perform, though he insists it’s not a sad song but one of hope:

“The end of the song says, ‘If you’re washed in the blood, someday you’ll see him again/And it won’t be in the rain and the mud in July in Cheyenne.’

It’s a gospel song. It’s one that applies to my family as well.”

Amen.

 The post Aaron Watson Wrote “July In Cheyenne” For Lane Frost’s Mother Because She Was Upset That The Movie “8 Seconds” Left Out His Faith first appeared on Whiskey Riff.