So long, cowboy: New England Rodeo ends season on a high-note

ROCHESTER — Two bull riding teams battled it out on Saturday, Oct. 18 at the New England Rodeo’s final show — ending the season on an action-packed note.

Bull riders on Team United States and Team Brazil competed for a prize of $1,000, with Team Brazil ultimately besting Team United States in a close victory.

New England Strategic Advisor and Producer Kelly Pina said the season was “great” and that the team was “really excited to be able to extend our season to have two additional shows” featuring special events and an extended program on Saturday, Oct. 4.

She emphasized that Rochester was an ideal location to host the rodeo, which held events every other Saturday at 65 Pine St.

“Rochester is an agriculturally-forward area where [farming is] still a priority. People are still having farms and tending to the land, so I think that we fit in very well and it was great to have the support,” said Pina.

She adds, “We are so astounded by the support of the town — between the police department, fire department, Select Board, town administrator.”

The rodeo team also felt grateful to have the support of local organizations and food vendors who helped create a communal atmosphere at the events.

“I really thought it was a nice fit for who we are and who Rochester is,” said Pina.

While they received some criticism from residents, the rodeo has “always tried to be really respectful neighbors — keeping the noise down, encouraging people to clean up their trash afterwards, taking care of the property and trying to maintain it to the best of our ability.”

“There’s going to be a few folks in every crowd that might not be the most supportive,” said Pina. “... We would never want to be an undue burden to the area. We felt so graciously welcomed and so supported and that we wanted to do our part and make sure that we were good citizens in return.”

Fans of the rodeo would often leave comments on the team’s Facebook page, expressing their appreciation for the event and the entertainment it brought to the area.

Rochester Police Chief Michael Assad stated that the rodeo went “amazing” from a law enforcement perspective.

“We had very little problems, very little calls … it was a great community event to bring everybody together,” he said, adding that “The people who run it are just a pleasure to work with so we hope we can see them again next year and have another great year with them.”

At the team competition, bull rider Matheus de Paula was injured during the event and left in an ambulance.

“That bull rider is doing A-Okay — a bruised ego and a few bruises on his body but he’s back in good health and will be competing and riding again,” assures Pina.

Overall, the rodeo had “very few incidents on the property” duing the season, according to Pina.

During the upcoming off-season, the rodeo crew plans to potentially hold bull riding clinics in Acushnet before starting their planning for 2026 events.

“We don’t have any official word on where we will be or where we won’t be, but we love Rochester and we’ll plan to continue talking to the Select Board to try to figure out some options because Rochester is our new hometown,” said Pina.