First Rodeo in Nearly a Century Rides Into Boston

The sights of cowboys waving their hats and clouds of dust rising from the earth beneath horses' hooves greeted crowds of onlookers at City Hall in Boston on Saturday, Sept 20. These scenes from Boston's first rodeo in nearly 100 years attracted hundreds of audience members from across the country, according to Eddie McHugh, one of the cofounders of The Local Maximum, which organized the rodeo.

“I don't think people in [Boston] have been exposed to it,” McHugh said in a statement shared with the Boston Globe. “It's a great way to diversify what we give the citizens of Boston.”

Spectators, many dressed in cowboy hats and boots, watched from the steps of City Hall and balconies as cowboys performed roping and riding tricks.

On the ground level at City Hall Plaza, cowboys competed in traditional rodeo competitions, such as bull riding, barrel racing, and bronc riding. Country music performances also contributed to the rodeo atmosphere in downtown Boston. 

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association sanctioned the rodeo. Athletes competed for the chance to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. 

Veteran bronc rider Dan Murray expressed excitement about experiencing a city-centered rodeo. Murray, who owns ranches in Massachusetts and Texas, said he's never seen a rodeo held in the center of a big city like Boston.

“[A rodeo] is usually in some back field or out in an arena,” Murray said in a statement shared with the Boston Globe. “This is just fantastic.”