ROCHESTER — Giddy up! The New England Rodeo took Rochester residents on a wild ride when they opened their doors for the first time on Saturday, June 14 at the former Country Fair grounds.

The opening night persisted through light rain, as spectators were treated to barrel racing and bull riding in the youth, amateur and professional divisions, alongside demonstrations of mounted shooting and mini bronc riding.

“We’re excited for hopefully even bigger shows, our next shows, without the rain,” said Kelly Pina, New England Rodeo Strategic Advisor and Producer.

Despite weather conditions, she emphasized that the opening night proceeded without a hitch.

“I think it was a fantastic opening night — very smooth sailing [and] great community support,” said Pina.

She appreciated the support of community officials, including Rochester Town Administrator Cameron Durant, Fire Chief Scott Wiegel and Police Chief Michael Assad who all made an appearance during opening night.

“We loved having the fire department and police department there representing the town, and we just felt like the city or town welcomed us with such open arms,” said Pina.

Dressed in western boots and a Pabst Blue Ribbon cowboy hat, New Bedford residents Serene Canedy and Raymond Bodbout were excited to attend the rodeo for the first time.

“We have Ray’s mom and dad here, and his daughter, and it’s all our first time,” said Canedy.

She and Godbout were invited to attend by their friends and were eager to see what the events had to offer.

“We’re excited to see what the cowboys do,” said Godbout.

At the end of the night, announcers and competitors interact with the community and participate in meet and greets with the fans.

As the season progresses, Pina said the rodeo is looking forward to adding “finishing touches” to the show.

“We’re going to have our mechanical bull ready for the next show. We have this large TV screen that plays instant replays of the live action in case anybody misses things,” she said. “We’re really excited to put those final touches into place and also for the community to get to know us more.”

The rodeo will take place every other Saturday with doors opening at 5 p.m., the youth rodeo beginning at 6 p.m. and the professional division starting at 7 p.m. The next event will take place on Saturday, June 28. Tickets are sold at the door and only cash is accepted for admission.