story by Lindsay King
Shooting rifles and roping steers: two things Gage Bruhn has done his entire life. Both are events he competes in with the NMHSRA. This Logan, New Mexico, native grew up on a ranch riding, roping and shooting rifles. “Ever since I first started competing in the sixth grade, I don’t think I have missed a rodeo since then,” said the high school senior. “We run a cattle ranch with black Angus cows and we have some farmland too. The ranch got me into rodeo initially but so did my sister.” His sister, Kaylee, is only three years older, but she got the family into New Mexico rodeo. The family has always taken their ranch-raised roping talent to jackpot team roping events, but rodeo eluded them in the early days.
“Kaylee has led the way for me in rodeo, but my parents have allowed me to keep doing it.” The 17-year-old is wicked accurate with both a heel loop and a rifle of any kind, but when it comes to handguns Gage prefers to stick with what he knows: long range. His best advice for the shooting events? “Don’t miss,” he said with a laugh. “Aim small, miss small and shoot straight.” It sounds simple, but it’s taken a lifetime of practice for Gage to make multiple appearances at the high school national finals in the light rifle (five times) and trap shooting (three times). “Every year nationals is the biggest rodeo we go to. It’s an amazing experience. I just try to focus on my job while I’m there so I can do my best.”
The NMHSRA is known for its sharp shooters. “New Mexico has one of the highest scoring teams in the shooting in the nation. Our four light rifle shooters finished in the top twenty at nationals this year.” Gauge was among them. He finished in ninth place in the trap shooting at nationals this past summer. “Our shooting team is really tough and it makes it a lot more fun. I like shooting against lots of good competition.” In the eighth grade Gage managed to finish in the top four of his shooting events and he won the average in the team roping. In his final season of high school rodeo, Gage is aiming to rope at nationals for the first and last time.
After winning the average at state finals in the team roping, Gage swapped ends and hasn’t looked back since. “All my life I was a header and my dad always said I couldn’t heel until I had mastered heading according to him. That always made me want to try out heeling because I never got to do it.” As a freshman, Gage finally got his shot at it and did so with his sister in the heading box. Heeling is now just second nature for him just like heading once was. As a rancher it makes sense that Gage is a team roper. Gage and his parents – Tom and Johnna – hit up as many jackpots as they can. “My parents always try to get off work to make sure that I get to do what I love. I just want to thank my parents for helping me and any coach that helped me get better at what I love to do. And I want to thank God for keeping me safe.”
When Gage isn’t at school working on his dual-credit classes or in the practice pen, he is running the farming side of the family operation. “I want to take some range and crop science classes so I can run the farming operation better.” Every Tuesday Gage can be found in a welding class at Luna College. He is also working through an online wind and energy class at Mesalands. “After I graduate (from Logan High School) I want to work on the ranch with my parents. I will probably go back to school at some point, but my ultimate goal is to work on the family operation.”
