“I don't think people in [Boston] have been exposed to it,” McHugh said in a statement shared with the Boston Globe. 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. 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.