R od eo R ou nd up
In The Arena
Shooting Sports in NMJHSRA/NMHSRA
by Sage Faulkner
Y
outh shooting sports is a welcome part of the New Mexico junior high and high school rodeo scene. Junior
high contestants can compete in light rifle, while high school contestants can shoot both light rifle and trap. Just like the rodeo contestants, the top state qualifiers can go on to the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA) Finals for opportunities to shoot with the best across the US states and other countries that compete. Dalli Cain, Mountainair High School student and daughter of David and Brenda Cain, shot last year at the NHSRA Finals. And shoot, she did! Dalli
placed 4 t h ,
Caleb Delk, Las Cruces
though she tells me she didn’t shoot her first or second target well, but she didn’t let that bother her, she just kept shooting. By the time she finished her third target she had beaten her personal best score and the second day she blew her personal best score away. I visited with Dalli to find out more about how she wound up placing in the top four shooters in the nation. She said her mom read about high school shooting sports on the NHSRA website, and while she was less than enthusiastic at first, she turned out to be fairly good. She practices when she has time. Getting ready for Nationals was an everyday thing, along with seeing a shooting coach weekly. Dry fire practice is something she does year-round, although she says practicing by herself is quite boring. Dalli says rodeo and shooting fit together because it is a lot of the same great people. Shooting is usually Friday; rodeos are Saturday and Sunday. While a lot of people think they shoot horseback, she says they do not. They shoot light rifle competition with a .22 rifle at 50 yards in three positions: prone, standing and kneeling. Dalli is quick to invite youth who might be interested in shooting sports to join the NMHSRA. She says we need more kids, and it’s super fun. “Most kids who shoot also rodeo, but you do not have to rodeo. I would also say if anyone needs anything whether that be equipment, advice, or encouragement, I would be happy to help!”
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JANUARY 2022
