Cody Lambert Opens Up About the Day He Lost Lane Frost: “I Wish I Had Built That Vest Sooner”
It’s been more than three decades since the tragic day in Cheyenne, 1989, when the rodeo world lost one of its brightest stars — Lane Frost. Yet for Cody Lambert, that day remains an open wound and a turning point that changed his life, and the sport of bull riding, forever.
Lambert wasn’t just Frost’s friend. He was his traveling partner, his roommate, and a brother in every way that mattered. “Lane wasn’t just the guy I competed with,” Cody once said. “He was the guy I prayed with, laughed with, and trusted my life with on the road.”
On July 30, 1989, during the final round of Cheyenne Frontier Days, Lane Frost made a perfect ride on the bull known as “Taking Care of Business.” But as he dismounted, the bull turned and struck him in the chest, breaking several ribs and puncturing a major artery. Lane stood, took a few steps, then collapsed in the dirt. Within minutes, one of the most beloved cowboys in history was gone.
Lambert was one of the first to reach him. “I still see him lying there,” he later said in interviews. “I thought he was just knocked out. You don’t ever think your friend is gone that fast.”
In the weeks that followed, Cody was consumed with guilt — not because of anything he did wrong, but because of something he hadn’t yet done. For years, he had been sketching designs for a protective vest that could help prevent such injuries. “I’d thought about it many times,” he said. “But after Lane died, I couldn’t stop thinking: What if I had finished it sooner?”
That grief turned into purpose. Within a year, Lambert completed the first prototype of what became the standard protective vest for bull riders. It was later approved by the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and became mandatory gear for every athlete entering the arena. Many riders today credit that innovation with saving their lives.
Beyond safety, Lane’s death reshaped Cody’s role in the sport. He retired from competition soon after and became one of the founding members of the PBR in 1992, dedicated to building a safer, more professional future for bull riding. “Lane’s spirit is in every ride, every cowboy that walks out there with a vest on,” he said. “He changed the game — we just made sure no one forgets why.”
Over the years, the movie 8 Seconds brought Lane and Cody’s story to millions. But for Lambert, it wasn’t about Hollywood or fame. “The movie was good,” he said, “but what mattered to me was that people knew Lane was real. He loved God, his wife, and his friends. He lived and rode with everything he had.”
Each July, when Cheyenne Frontier Days returns, Cody still stands by the chutes, watching the young riders take their turns. “I see a little of Lane in every one of them,” he admits. “And sometimes, when the dust settles and the crowd cheers, I still look toward that arena and remember the day everything changed.”
Lane Frost may have left too soon, but his best friend made sure his legacy would protect generations to come.