​When the rodeo rolls into town, it’s never just another stop on the Professional Bull Riders circuit. PBR’s ties to Fort Collins and Colorado State University run deeper and more personally than most fans realize. As the second PBR event at Canvas Stadium unfolds with Bulls and Beats from July 10–12, the event marks a return to the roots of one of the sport’s legends.
Jerome Robinson, a CSU alumnus and longtime Fort Collins resident who died in 2022, remains a Hall of Famer and a beloved figure in bull-riding circles. He rode for CSU in the late 1960s, then pursued a professional riding career for over 13 years, qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo 11 times. After his days in the saddle, Robinson helped pioneer the bull-riding experience and played a crucial role in turning the sport into the high-stakes spectacle that PBR is today. For more than three decades he served as PBR’s Arena Director and is often credited with cementing PBR as the “toughest sport on dirt.” Photographs from his era—Robinson during the first round of the Billings PBR 25th Anniversary Unleash the Beast in 2018, and Michael Lane securing his re-ride bull from Robinson at the Las Vegas PBR 25th Anniversary World Finals in 2018—still evoke the energy and innovation he brought to the arena.
Robinson’s influence extended beyond his on-screen leadership. Whether it was championing the centralized PROCOM system for rodeo scoring, running his own production company, or infusing the sport with his jovial, engaging personality, he understood how to entertain audiences while remaining anchored to his roots. Despite the sport’s traditional power bases in Texas, the South, and the broader West, Robinson chose to remain in Fort Collins for much of his life, a commitment that kept his footprint visible in the community. With PBR’s return to CSU, his vision appears to be coming to fruition in a tangible way. Last year’s Last Cowboy Standing event finally brought professional rodeo spectacle to his adopted hometown, a transformation many saw as the next chapter of his legacy. “Just the concept, covering the Canvas Stadium field, doing it in the stadium, all these grand production parts, it’s just carrying on his tradition,” PBR senior vice president Robert Simpson told the Coloradoan in July 2025. “To do this in his hometown, with an innovative event like this? That’s special for us.”
The imagery of Jerome Robinson endures in the undertones of Bulls and Beats. He remains a touchstone as the sport evolves, and his imprint is visible in the way the event is staged and celebrated. In years when families gather to watch bulls buck, riders push their limits, and crowds roar to country anthems echoing across CSU’s campus, Robinson’s legacy is never far away. The highlights of the 2018 and 2028 iterations of the league’s showcases—moments of fearless riding, production-scale spectacles, and a community drawn together by a shared passion—reflect the spirit Robinson embodied.
This year’s Bulls and Beats extends that tribute by introducing a Collegiate All-Star Rodeo competition that salutes Robinson’s memory and his Rams. CSU’s storied rodeo program, one of the country’s oldest, will again be intertwined with PBR’s high-octane format, reminding spectators that this event is about more than entertainment. In 2025, PBR established the Jerome Robinson Legacy Fund to support CSU’s rodeo team through scholarships, travel funds, and operational needs, ensuring the program’s continued vitality for years to come.
As PBR returns to Fort Collins for a second season at CSU, the familiar elements—the beating of the bulls, the adrenaline of riders, the crowd’s cheers, and the country tunes filling the air—will blend with a deeper narrative. This isn’t merely a turf-field showcase; it’s a celebration of a man who helped shape the sport and a community that embraced him. “Who would have thought? We’re riding bulls on a turf field at CSU! Jerome would have loved everything about it,” Simpson remarked. The event honors Robinson’s memory by sustaining his ideals of showmanship, innovation, and steadfast dedication to the sport he helped elevate, while continuing to build opportunities for the next generation of riders.