Cullen A. Robinson was born on May 10, 1920, and raised on a ranch near Snyder, Texas, where he learned to rope. In the middle forties, he entered the professional rodeo circuit and had a successful career as a calf roper, steer wrestler, and team roper. Cullen had a fondness for good horses and always rode one, with a dun mare named Leggy being one of his favorites.
Cullen was known for his competitiveness in match roping, winning many matches against some of the world champion calf ropers. While competing in rodeos, he also worked as a rodeo stock producer in Texas, New Mexico, and other southern states. In 1951, his partners, Tommy Steiner and Bill Elliot, bought him out.
His rodeo career saw performances in prestigious locations such as Calgary, Cheyenne, Denver, Houston, Madison Square Garden, and Pendleton. He won the calf roping event at the Heart O’ Texas Fair in Waco in 1947 and the steer wrestling event at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, in 1947. Cullen began his rodeo competition in 1936 as a member of the Cowboy’s Turtle Association and later the Rodeo Cowboys Association, eventually being honored with a lifetime RCA gold membership card.
Beyond rodeo, Cullen worked as a field inspector for the Texas Animal Health Commission for 12 years and as an investigator for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association for 22 years. During this time, he continued to compete in rodeos as a member of the Texas Peace Officers Association as a calf roper and team roper.
Cullen retired in 1985 but remained active in horse business relations and as a judge for both the American Quarter Horse Association and the American Paint Horse Association. Recognized as a true cowboy and a competent and respected horseman, Cullen Robinson passed away on October 27, 1995, at the age of seventy-five.
