Cowboys, concerts and CSU: PBR's debut in Fort Collins hits high notes at Canvas Stadium

Strip away the dirt. The concert stage, even. Canvas Stadium still felt like home.

For two nights, though, it was the bulls' turf (well, dirt) at the Colorado State University football stadium.

PBR's two-day Last Cowboy Standing extravaganza (July 21-22) was seemingly as big a hit with local fans as the Cross Canadian Ragweed and Jon Pardi concerts that ended each night.

"The fact that this is really here, in our backyard, is just so cool. I’ve been loving every minute of it," Fort Collins native Connor Kelly told the Coloradoan.

This played out more like a local festival than the rodeo merely whipping in and out of town at the speed of a bull's ferocious kick.

Leandro Castro won the title with a finals ride of 88.25 points aboard Tulsa Time to take home over $133,000 and the biggest win of the 21-year-old Brazilian's young career.

But the final result was just a small component of the massive event that was the first of its scale (not including football games) in a transformed Canvas Stadium.

PBR, in partnership with CSU, made its first Fort Collins stop feel like a well-worn annual tradition.

And it will be for at least another year. PBR announced that the Last Cowboy Standing event is already set to return next summer, expanding to three days in 2026 on July 10-12.

From the start, CSU and Fort Collins were integrated into the event's colorful cowboy fabrics.

Fans tailgated across campus before the first night. CSU cheerleaders rode in on a truck with Miss Colorado. Local sponsors like Jim's Wings, 4Rivers Equipment, Pederson Toyota and, of course, the CSU Ram logo, were prominent on signage across the stadium.

An 8-second ride that the cowboys needed to earn points was also billed as an "OCR Qualified Ride."

CSU students across several disciplines like the rodeo team, music production and sports management got hands-on learning behind the scenes. Even some Rams football players checked out the action, maybe appreciating that they didn't have to block or tackle the nearly full-ton bulls on their typical turf.

"PBR had a big vision and executed it so well," CSU president Amy Parsons said. "It’s great for the Fort Collins community and CSU, especially with our students involved in every aspect of this."

This wasn't PBR's usual approach, either. The integrated local atmosphere or major music shows isn't typical at every PBR stop.

"This event is as close to the World Finals as anything. We don’t do this anywhere else," PBR Senior Vice President Robert Simpson told the Coloradoan.

"For CSU and Fort Collins, we wanted this to be a summer experience that felt local. It was important to for it to feel like a hometown event," Simpson said.

Another local highlight? PBR honored deceased CSU alum and PBR/rodeo legend Jerome Robinson, establishing a legacy fund in his name to support the Rams' rodeo team.

PBR raised money through fan donations and event sales, also starting the fund off with a $25,000 donation in a special presentation with Robinson's family and CSU brass before the semifinal round.

The community element was all nice and well.

But make no mistake, this was a party and one reminiscent of the concert heydays at Hughes Stadium.

Nearby residents would surely attest to that following two nights with the booming sound system blaring well beyond the stadium walls.

After a solid crowd the first night, over 24,000 fans packed Canvas' west side for the final evening despite fairly heavy rain that slightly delayed proceedings. In fact, it seemed to galvanize attendees, giving them a chance to down another hard beverage as a brilliant rainbow adorned the eastern sky over the upper deck.

Some fans were there for the competition, sure. Big roars accompanied riders who crossed the 8- or even 10-second threshold.

"You’re riding a 1,500-plus pound bull for eight seconds. You can’t tell me that’s not awesome," Kelly said.

Mostly, though, fans flocked from across Northern Colorado for a two-day country event.

"We're here for Jon Pardi, but the bull-riding is so fun too," Timnath resident Cyndi Youngren said.

Was she going to brave the dirt-turned-mud in the concert pit after the earlier rain?

"Probably not. Our boots are too expensive," Youngren and her friend exclaimed with a laugh.

The dirt didn't miss them, as fans filled almost all of the designated pit area during Pardi's closing 90-minute set. He gave them a show, playing his biggest country hits and covering "Crazy Train" to honor rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away earlier on July 22.

The extracurriculars kept fans of all ages and interests fairly engaged. Official PBR entertainer Brinson James led sing-a-longs and invited fans to root for the bulls and riders alike.

James also picked fans at somewhat random for mid-event entertainment, including Kelly for a pickle-vs.-banana two-step competition on the first night.

Kelly was chosen because he was wearing an American flag overalls/jort ensemble, standing out even among the dressed-up crowd.

"I'd watched PBR before and knew if you wear interesting outfits, you have a chance to get on screen.

"Figured I might as well have fun with it. It’s a Monday night, so why not?"

PBR Entertainer Brinson James interacts with fans during night one of PBR's Last Cowboy Standing showcase event on July 21, 2025 at CSU's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colo.

The 2026 edition of Last Cowboy Standing will be on a weekend, spanning Friday through Sunday.

Even with that calendar advantage, PBR and CSU will be hard-pressed to throw a bigger party than pro bull riding debut's in town.

"This is Fort Collins, through and through," Kelly said.

Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.

This story was updated to fix a typo.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Cowboys, concerts and CSU: PBR's debut in Fort Collins hits high notes at Canvas Stadium