story by Lindsay King
Breaking records is an annual occurrence for Roberto Galaz from Los Lunas, New Mexico, who holds four national titles in the light rifle shooting. The 17-year-old is also a competitor in the trap shooting. “We started rodeo in the roping pen and then realized there were shooting events. My dad brought us up in a shooting and hunting environment, so it made sense to start the shooting sports,” said the high school senior. When Roberto started rodeo he was in the breakaway, ribbon roping and team roping. Now he mostly heads at jackpots.
A six-year veteran in the light rifle shooting, Roberto is going into his third season of trap shooting. He said it is his favorite event because “it is more exciting to see the targets that you are shooting at break in the air.” Crediting his parents, Alex and Vikki Galaz, as his biggest influence, Roberto is thankful for his support system. “My dad grew up in rodeo and hunting. He brought me up in that life style. He showed me everything he knew and throughout the years we kept learning and getting better.” Providing the moral support and encouragement is his mom, consistently reassuring Roberto to never give up and to keep setting goals for himself.
It was in 2015 when Roberto won his first national title in the eighth grade. “The year before I was the reserve champion, so it was exciting to win it all. It was a great accomplishment and a memorable place to see all my hard work pay off.” Improving in shooting sport takes the same ingredients as any other rodeo event. However, the process and mindset is quite a bit different. “You have to control your breathing and adjust for different weather conditions, like wind. We shoot in the rain also.” Wind affects the trajectory of the bullet more than anything else. “This year at nationals the wind was pushing 16 miles an hour while we were out on the range shooting. It is important to practice in those conditions if you want to get better.”
Following the high school national finals around the Midwest is easily Roberto’s favorite rodeo each year. The always humble marksman knows it’s an accomplishment to even get to nationals. “You arrive at nationals and feel great about yourself. At times, there is a lot of pressure because there are a lot of real tough competitive athletes shooting at nationals every year.” In 2015, Roberto marked the highest score ever recorded. He went back and broke his own record the next year. His record shots in both junior high and high school still stand today. “Winning at nationals this year was probably my proudest moment so far. Nobody has won it four years in a row. The excitement was just like the first time I won it.”
Like any rodeo event, it all comes down to the mental game. The hardest part? Roberto said it is calming down his nerves, so he does not shake while he is shooting. He also shoots in 4-H and is in his Valencia High School FFA chapter where he competes in the ag mech contest. He hopes to one day shoot on a college team. Though he is undecided on what college he will compete for, he plans to pursue a degree in nurse anesthetist. “Basically, I want to be the person that knocks you out before you go into surgery. The people who actually give the medicine. I have a bunch of nurses in my family and this job caught my attention. It seems like something I would like to do.”
