Legendary cowboy and bull memorialized at entrance to Clovis Rodeo Grounds

At the entrance to the Clovis Rodeo Grounds is the 14-foot-tall bronze memorial of legendary bull rider Lane Frost atop Red Rock, the bull many thought was too tough to stay on.

The statue was commissioned by the Clovis Rodeo Association for the rodeo’s centennial in 2014. It was created by artist Jim Stuckenberg, who lived on the Central Coast and is a Fresno State graduate with a degree in animal science.

Frost took up trying to ride Red Rock as part of the Challenge of Champions, a series of seven exhibitions in 1988. While Frost did not successfully ride the bull in Clovis that year, the following month he did manage to stay atop the powerful animal at the Redding Rodeo. All told, Lane successfully rode Red Rock in four of the seven tries.

Frost’s bull-riding exploits became the basis for the movie, “8 Seconds.” He was killed the following year at Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming, when the bull named Takin’ Care of Business hit Frost in the back, severing a major artery.

This story was originally published April 27, 2018 at 8:58 PM with the headline "Legendary cowboy and bull memorialized at entrance to Clovis Rodeo Grounds."