As long as there have been ranchers in Colorado, there have been community banks to support them.
By Monica Vanover on December 4, 2025
Agriculture has always been foundational to the state’s economy and that of many rural areas, small towns, and even the cities. Since 1978, Bank of Colorado has been committed to helping the state’s ranchers and farmers succeed.
Of course, ranching in Colorado isn’t all business. The industry blossomed here in 1870s and cattle drives and open-range ranching soon spread across the region. Cattlemen, herdsmen, and cowhands started competing and showcasing their livestock and skills in the saddle — aiming to see who raised the finest purebred Shorthorns and Herefords and who could rope and ride the best.
More than a century later, Bank of Colorado is proud to be the Official Bank of the 120th National Western Stock Show (Jan. 10-25) — the best 16 days in January.
Started in 1906, the annual January extravaganza attracts nearly 700,000 people who come to see about 30 rodeos, 11 horse shows, and countless other attractions just a couple miles outside of Denver. The Stock Show is a hallowed tradition, a yearly gathering of extended family, and a window into the region’s roots in Western culture. But it’s also a celebration and reminder of vital economic role that agriculture and ranching still plays in Colorado.
A community bank that helps Colorado agriculture grow
From the earliest days of ranching from the Rockies to the plains below, local farmers and bankers have grown together. Ranching required short-term credit to buy cattle; operating loans for feed, equipment, and labor; real-estate financing to buy land; and access to buyers. At the same time, local banks thrived on this perennial demand for credit, built their businesses on helping ranchers save and grow their profits, and even welcomed local farmers and cattle brokers to sit on their boards.
In fact, what would become Bank of Colorado was founded in 1938 by a pair of farmers, brothers George and Tom Dinsdale, who wanted to support their agricultural community during The Great Depression. Over the ensuing nine decades, the bank (through its holding company, Pinnacle Bancorp, Inc.) grew to serve communities, many of them farming and ranching towns, across eight states. Today, Bank of Colorado is still family-owned and managed, serving customers in over 45 locations across Colorado.
Even though both the National Western Stock Show and Bank of Colorado have expanded and flourished over the decades, neither have lost touch with their common roots. Both focus on family, community, cooperation, and doing business locally. More than that, they share core values of grit, integrity, trust, and hard work that are fundamental to both ranching and community banking.
But more than that, Bank of Colorado honors the ethos of the National Western Stock Show by supporting events and causes that make a real difference in the community. The bank greets its customers and its neighbors with familiar, friendly faces that know your name and understand your goals. The bank makes decisions locally with the community always in mind. And they do so for all customers, personal and business, in agriculture and beyond.
Bank of Colorado believes in the Spirit of the West
In the true Spirit of the West, Bank of Colorado saddles up before sunrise to keep the legacy of community alive.
SPONSORED BY BANK OF COLORADO
THE NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW AND BANK OF COLORADO CELEBRATE DECADES OF GROWING TOGETHER
What Makes Bank of Colorado Different
Bank of Colorado remains family-owned and operated.
Customers are greeted by real people at any of the more than 45 conveniently located branches — often neighbors they know.
Banking decisions are made locally by people who understand Colorado’s communities and economies.
Customers still enjoy modern conveniences like Bill Pay, Card Control, and security notifications.
Also, ATM LIVE® machines feature extended banking hours and the ability to talk to a live teller right here in Colorado.
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Bank of Colorado annually backs the show financially. This includes a $500,000 donation from the bank and the Dinsdale Brothers Inc. to build Bank of Colorado Hall inside the newly built Legacy Building National Western Complex where the event is held.
Why Bank of Colorado?
A big part of why it’s so important to preserve the Spirit of the West is because it’s gradually disappearing. As the world becomes more urbanized, small farms and ranches are fading away. The same thing is happening to family-owned community banks. Advances in technology and communication have left individuals, families, and businesses to do their banking with smartphones and laptops. When they manage to get a voice on the phone, it’s either automated or an operator based in another city, state, country, or continent.
In other words, we’re losing the human connection at the heart of the Western spirit.
Not at Bank of Colorado. Unlike other institutions, Bank of Colorado is still family-owned and operated. Customers can be sure when they show up to one of the more than 45 conveniently located branches that they’ll be greeted by a real person, often a neighbor they know. They can trust that their money and their livelihoods are in the hands of local decision makers who understand what’s going on in Colorado.
So, if you’re looking for a bank, consider investing in your community by calling Bank of Colorado. Or better yet, visit one of its nearby branches — and rediscover the spirit of community.
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