Police said 10 back-up officers were summoned from six regional stations on learning more than 40, mainly young men were involved in a "scrap" outside the Coach & Horses Inn, following the Lawrence Rodeo earlier in the day.
Described by one witness, who asked not to be named, as "cowboys versus locals", it is believed some visiting rodeo participants and residents squared off against each other outside the pub in the early evening.
Senior Sergeant Chris Wakelin, of Balclutha, said when police arrived, they encountered a large and "agitated, but compliant" crowd of mainly young men.
"There had evidently been some fighting taking place, with a few black eyes and bust lips, but we were able to assist in removing patrons from the area, and securing rides to get people home safely, and things passed without further serious incident."
He said the pub had to be closed as a result, leading to the removal of a further 100 patrons who had been enjoying themselves inside.
"Obviously, this is quite a serious incident where we have a sole-charge officer in Lawrence, which has required police being pulled from across the region as far afield as Dunedin and Alexandra to resolve matters.
"We don’t expect this kind of behaviour after a well-run public event like the rodeo, where things have gone smoothly during the day, only for those who can’t control their alcohol consumption to misbehave like this in the evening.
"We’ll be conducting a follow-up investigation into what exactly occurred and the response from all involved."
Snr Sgt Wakelin said no arrests had been made, although he did not rule them out following the examination of security footage.
Lawrence Rodeo president Steve Whitehead said the incident cast a shadow on what had otherwise been an excellent day.
"We certainly don’t condone this sort of behaviour, and we have a lot of measures in place for the rodeo itself, in partnership with police, to ensure we’re running a safe and enjoyable family event.
"This is a shame for the pub, which had to close early on one of its busiest nights of the year, and for those involved in the scuffle, who should know better.
"We’re very disappointed in their behaviour."
The Coach & Horses could not be contacted for comment yesterday afternoon.
