Lane Frost Documentary ‘LANE: Life | Legend | Legacy’ From Tough Draw Entertainment Hits A Bullseye

An American way of life for a global audience. A marketing opportunity for brands.

On film, in fashion and music, and in other forms of entertainment, the representation of Western culture continues to, pun intended, stampede into mainstream media. Legends from yesteryear like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood on the silver screen are synonymous with the category. The fictional Marshal Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke, Ben Cartwright in Bonanza, the Ingalls clan in Michael Landon’s Little House on the Prairie, and the Ewings in Dallas come to mind on television. And, at present, it continues through the creative storytelling by Yellowstone and Landman creator Taylor Sheridan, the drama Territory, and the recently introduced documentary ‘LANE: Life | Legend | Legacy’ from Tough Draw Entertainment, which showcases the life of American cowboy and champion bull rider Lane Frost.

Considered one of the best bull riders of all time, Lane Frost was tragically killed in 1989 at the age of 25 after dismounting a bull at Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. But his legacy, specifically the story of his meteoric rise and all-too brief career, continues via film and in media, first with Luke Perry as Lane Frost in the 1994 theatrical 8 Seconds and now via LANE: Life | Legend | Legacy, a heartwarming testimonial from Tough Draw Entertainment of his lasting impact in western culture.

“Lane Frost is our Dale Earnhardt and our Tiger Woods, and all are the heroes of their respective sports,” noted James Trawick, co-founder of Tough Draw Entertainment, the purveyors of storytelling and live events, among other entities, dedicated to the authenticity of the Western culture. “He was very personable and would speak to people in a way that made them feel important. And I say that after having sat in on over 50 interviews with people that are 35 years removed from that interaction and still have emotion about how Lane made them feel.”

“Lane is an icon because of what he stood for and how he lived his life,” he said.

Partnered with Brad Hughes, who began the vision for Tough Draw while sitting in a University of Texas Screenwriting class, the company aims to maintain and share the traditions and culture of the West by depicting the authentic experiences and people involved in the Western lifestyle.

After interning in Hollywood for Ridley Scott at Scott Free Productions and for Ron Howard at Imagine Entertainment (where he worked in such projects as Body of Lies, Robin Hood and Friday Night Lights), Brad Hughes decided to dive back into the writing process and the official road to Tough Draw began.

“It all goes back to the principles that the country was founded on. When I think of Western culture, I think about my Grandad and about hard work. And I think about basic morality and the basic principles of life, which for us reflects God, family, and country,” said Brad Hughes. “That’s what we champion and what we stand for, and that’s why cowboy culture matters.”

“After Yellowstone, there was a resurgence that really helped reshine that light on Western culture. Now it is our job to keep that torch lit,” he noted. “8 Seconds was the first film I can remember feeling emotion watching because I was such a huge rodeo fan. Then, to have the opportunity to tell Lane Frost’s story the way that the family wanted it done, in the true manner of how it was presented, was a full circle moment.”

LANE: Life | Legend | Legacy, which launched recently on video on demand, explores Frost’s faith, challenges, and why he remains a celebrated figure in Western culture. It’s told through the perspectives of people close to Frost and those impacted by his legacy and was shot by cinematographer Jordan Thiem, who Hughes cited as a “key component” to the production.

All in on Western Culture: The Hondo Rodeo Festival

With a centralized focus on Western culture, Tough Draw Entertainment is focused on pushing the boundaries of every medium possible to showcase the sport of rodeo and the real lives of cowboys and cowgirls through stories, events, podcasts, brand campaigns, and more. They also expanded into Sports with the addition of athlete representation to further enrich the careers of the professional athletes. Then came the Hondo.

Positioned as “the voice to the modern-day cowboy,” Tough Draw Entertainment recently produced The Hondo Rodeo Festival in partnership with Bob Coker, Dallas Jackson, Blake Cody and McCoy Rodeo.

The three-day event was built on top of Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and gave fans a glimpse of the future of rodeo for bringing together world champions in the sport with a Western culture fan festival and some of country music’s most decorated acts.

For a first-year festival, the impressive artist line-up included recent CMA Vocal group of the year award winner Old Dominion, CMA Vocal duo of the year winner Brooks & Dunn, music legend Hank Williams Jr., and the Zac Brown Band, who has 55 award nominations alone, to name a just a few.

“The pendulum always swings, but I think that we always come back to this community because of what it stands for,” said Trawick, who followed in his father’s footsteps as a competitive rodeo contestant before segueing into film production. “When you put together live events you get to see all the people show up; everyone from top to bottom, from A to Z. Every creed, every color, and every age were represented at the Hondo Rodeo Festival. And that’s the beauty of what we’re creating, this marriage between the sport of rodeo and the art of country music, also represents the heart of America.”

A total of $1.1 million was awarded to the cowboys and cowgirls that participated in the Hondo Rodeo Festival, which is already a frontrunner for a nomination for the Academy of Country Music’s Fair/Rodeo of the Year award. For western culture, the Hondo Rodeo Fest offered the excitement of professional rodeo action representative of both the sport and the community values. And, for a partnering brand like Frito Lay, the advantage was in the messaging.

“Fritos is no newcomer to Western culture – the brand has been feeding the cowboy spirit since 1932,” says Chris Bellinger, Chief Creative Officer at PepsiCo Foods US. “With the recent resurgence of country in pop culture, Fritos continues to tap into our cowboy origins with cult-favorite television series Yellowstone, and most recently through a partnership with the Hondo Rodeo Festival. Our sponsorship and curated brand experiences onsite have allowed us to reach a whole new generation of fans who similarly embrace the cowboy spirit.”

Coming Up

While the rodeo world is in Las Vegas this week for the coveted National Finals Rodeo (NFR) event, the team at Tough Draw is focused on connecting more brands with Western-themed stories and events.

“Right now, we are entertaining more feature length documentaries and series format content based on athlete profiles. And we’re in conversations with some brands to financially support those ideas to get behind that for short films,” said James Trawick. “We are also discussing an investment in the feature film that started it all, and we want to take the Hondo Rodeo Fest and grow it.”

“There’s a ton of new interest in our space and in our world following this event, and I think it permeates all the way through our work in the media industry,” he said. “Our goal, and our privilege, is to represent this community.”