When we see John on the skeet field he seems like a natural.  His smooth, effortless swing seems like an innate gift that has been with him since the first day he picked up a shotgun.  Those of us who have known John for many years, however, know that innate ability has little to do with John’s success.  John worked incredibly hard, made many sacrifices, and toiled for many years before he reaped success at our game.  John continued to pursue his vision in the face of adversity and, over time, he garnered virtually every achievement that can be realized in our sport.

John has made the most of every opportunity that he has been given in life and he has many times created opportunity where many, in similar situations, felt none existed.  John came from humble beginnings.  Growing up, he regularly worked in the fields to help support his family.  He understood at an early age that hard work and persistence eventually yields results.  As a young man, John was drafted, served in Vietnam, and was decorated for gallantry as an army infantryman, receiving the Bronze Star.  He used his service as an opportunity to educate himself by means of the GI Bill and subsequently secure a job with the Houston Fire Department.  John retired from the fire department after serving his community for 35 years.  

John knew that he wanted to pursue skeet shooting with more focus and vigor than the vast majority of people who try our game.  He knew that this level of commitment would strain his expendable income.  John began looking for a part-time job to support his hobby more than 20 years ago, even before he experienced success in our game.  I found out that John was looking for part-time employment and asked John if he would join our team.  I had previously hired a number of firefighters and John’s great attitude and work ethic made hiring John an easy decision.  John has been a part of our Briley family for over 20 years and I have been proud to work with him over that time.  John has taught me both a lot about life and a lot about shooting.

I mentioned John’s attitude a bit before.  To be successful at our sport, even at life for that matter, it certainly helps to have a great attitude.  Frankly, John has one of the greatest attitudes in our sport.  One of the best examples of John’s great attitude is a shoot that he may not remember, the 2004 Big Orange Invitational.  In the Doubles Event for this shoot, John shot perfectly for 3 ½ boxes.  He was on a roll as he stepped onto Station 7 and called for the pair… Something seemed wrong with the pair, however, and John lowered his gun, choosing not to shoot.  John was then called for a balk; a rule that seems to be rarely enforced in our game.  John finished the round with a 99.  To John’s credit, he never questioned the call, he never made a remark about the referee, he and never cursed his bad luck.  He simply loaded the gun and called for the next pair of targets.  Focusing on the next target and not dwelling on past “bad luck” helped John continue with his vision and reaching his goals.  This world-class attitude helped John shoot a 400×400 at his very next shoot, the Zone VI Championship.  Incidentally, John has (4) 400×400’s and (1) 500×500.

I believe that John has realized the American Dream.  He had a vision, pursued that vision and achieved the highest level of greatness.  I am proud and very humbled to be a friend of John Castillo 

~ Pat Byrne

Career Highlights

• World Championships 
  • 1999 – World 28 Gauge Champion
  • 1998 – World 28 Gauge Runner-Up
  • 2004 – World Doubles Runner-Up
• US Open 
  • 2002 – HOA Champion
• Masters 
  • 2006 – 28 Gauge Champion
  • 2003 – 20 Gauge Runner-Up

Perfect Scores

• Four 400×400 Scores at major events including the Southwest Classic and Zone VI Championships.
• One 500×500 Score at the TOC Bradshaw in 2005—an achievement that places him among the elite in the sport.

Honors and Recognition

• All-American Teams: 13 selections, including First Team honors in 2006 and 2007.
• Texas State Open Teams: 16 selections, serving as Captain three times.
• Hall of Fame: Inducted into the Texas Skeet Shooters Association Hall of Fame in 2010 
• Hall of Fame:  Inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame in 2014