Josh Frost is making waves in a sport where his family’s legacy runs deep, currently holding the top spot in PRCA bull riding.
Josh’s family has a legendary history in the professional rodeo world. He is the third generation of PRCA rodeo cowboys in his family, following in the paths of his grandpa, Joe Frost, and father, Shane Frost. His uncle, Clyde Frost, made history as a bareback rider at the inaugural National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 1959. Josh’s brother, Joe Frost, is a five-time NFR qualifier in bull riding, and his second cousin is the late Lane Frost, whose legacy was immortalized in the iconic movie “8 Seconds.”
Josh’s roots in agriculture run deeper than the sport of rodeo. He grew up in Randlett, UT, on his family’s cow-calf operation where he was taught the ranch always came first. He and his brothers had a zest for bull riding from an early age, riding calves on the ranch when he was just 6 years old. All four of the Frost siblings have a passion for the sport, with the brothers on the bull riding circuit and the sister in breakaway roping.
Although the love for rodeo flows through his family’s veins, Josh credits his ranch upbringing with laying the foundation for success in the sport.
His dad instilled in him a strong work ethic, ensuring the ranch took priority over bull riding practice. “The whole time we grew up, we got to practice every single day,” Josh told WLJ. “But we had to get all the work on the ranch done first.”
Season highlights
Josh rebounded from a rough winter and soared toward the top this season. A herniated disc over the winter led to back issues and numbness in his leg, which hindered his performance, leaving him with only two successful rides out of about 25. After taking a month off in February to recover, he made a strong comeback in the spring and celebrated his best Fourth of July performance to date.
“After four weeks out there, I went from fourth in the world to No. 1 in the world, and we’ve just been climbing since then,” Josh said.
Josh highlighted the quality of the rough stock over the season, noting, “There’s no better time than now in the world of bull riding to be a bull rider.” Throughout his 10-year career, he has seen improvements in stock quality from the small rodeo to the large rodeo. He drew a parallel between the emphasis on bloodlines in the bucking bull industry and the horse industry, stressing the industry’s commitment to breeding top-notch bucking bulls.
“It makes our job a lot of fun because part of the fun of being a bull rider is the challenge of riding a bull that bucks really hard,” he said. “We get that opportunity now more than we used to.”
One bull of notoriety in the sport right now is Cool Whip, who set the PBR record in May with 43 consecutive buck offs. While some riders may curse their luck for drawing the bull, Josh is eager for the chance to end Cool Whip’s streak. He has pulled the bull twice so far, and though unsuccessful at making it to the buzzer, he looks forward to the next matchup and the next opportunity to break the bull’s streak.
Staying on top of his mental game is just as important as the physical requirements to master the sport. “You have to stay hungry for it,” Josh said. “I’ve had good days and I’ve had bad days, but you’ve got to be able to keep your confidence high after the bad days.”
Josh attributes his ability to keep a tough mindset to being raised on the ranch. “Growing up and going and building a quarter mile of fence before I could get on a practice bull,” he said. “I know how to handle the physical grind of it, and you’ve got to love it.”
Josh continued, “Anything you can do to build that mental toughness to show up and be able to compete at a high level every day is what you’ve got to do if you want to be a world champion.”
And being a world champion is exactly the goal Josh has in mind. “That’s been my goal since I was a little kid,” he said. “I’ve been the reserve world champion three years in a row, so talk about being so close to your goal that you can snip it. But part of the mental toughness with that is being willing to look back and ask, ‘Where do I need to improve?’”
He said there’s usually a reason a goal wasn’t accomplished, and he’s been able to look back and find his weaknesses to work at getting better. “I do think the reward is in the journey, not in the destination, and I haven’t hit that destination yet, but I’m mentally prepared for when I get that first world title,” he said.
Support system
Josh drew inspiration from his dad’s successes as he built his own ventures while pursuing a career as a professional bull rider. “I really tried to brainstorm and be smart with my money to invest in other businesses and avenues to where when I get done riding bulls, I’ll be able to be set up to provide for my family and be able to do the things that I love,” he said.
One of his business ideas that has turned into a successful venture is Frost Rosin. The company markets rosin, a sticky grip enhancer that riders use on the tails of their rope to improve their grip when riding.
“It was something I kind of started as a little bit of a side hustle trying to make a couple extra bucks,” Josh said. “I never dreamed of how big it ended up getting.” The company, now in its fourth year, sells more than a thousand pounds of rosin annually.
Although Josh has found success in the rodeo circuit and on the entrepreneur scene, agriculture remains his No. 1 passion. After his first few years of bull riding, he bought 50 head of cows that he runs with his older brother. Josh acknowledges the support of his family for allowing him to be involved in ranching while still being a full-time rodeo cowboy. “Without my family backing me, I wouldn’t be able to do that,” he said. “I’m probably only home for about 45 days throughout the year.”
He added, “Who you surround yourself with is a huge factor in your success.”
Josh also credits his wife, Erika, as playing a significant role in his support system. “We don’t get to see each other as much as we would like, but she’s very supportive of everything,” he said. The couple met while rodeoing in college and is expecting a baby girl later this month.
The future of the sport
For aspiring bull riders, Josh offered some words of encouragement. “Don’t give up and work hard,” he said. “And definitely go to a bull riding school.”
Bull riding is a dangerous sport, so it’s crucial to have a good foundation from the beginning, especially if starting at a young age, he said. To parents of younger aspiring bull riders, Josh advised: “Make sure you’re putting your kid on something where you feel like you’re safe. Take care of your kids and let them have success when they get started because if you do that, you’re going to give them a chance to fall in love with the sport.”
Josh and his brother offer an online bull riding school program, where students have access to nearly 100 instructional videos and training drills and regimes. “The idea behind it was if you had never gotten on a bull or calf before, you could buy this and when you got done you would be able ready to go in and win,” he said.
Offering the riding school program is also a way of giving back to the industry and encouraging the sport’s growth. “For the longest time, it was kind of like the top guys wanted to keep their secrets because if they were the only ones that knew them, it was going to be easier for them to win,” Josh said.
Josh’s dedication to the sport and commitment to his roots show how hard work and humility can drive success both in the sport of rodeo and in the game of life.
“I feel very blessed to do what I do, and I fell in love with this process of being a bull rider,” Josh finished. “Through the course of building my bull riding and also building my life with my wife and my family, I look looking forward to getting that gold buckle but I’m also enjoying life in the meantime.” — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
