Farm & Ranch Family Weitz Family of Region X

by Laramie Wedemeyer

Congratulations to the Weitz family of London, Tx for being named this month’s McCoy’s Farm and Ranch Family! The Weitz have a passion for the agriculture industry, shown through their day to day operations. From managing cattle to guiding hunts and traveling to rodeos on the weekends, their schedule is packed full, but no matter the work and events, family is rooted at the center of it all.

Doyle Weitz and his wife Renee have a son, Chet, and a daughter, Chainey, who competes in Region X. Chainey is a senior in high school, competing in the barrel racing, pole bending and breakaway roping. Chet is a senior at Texas Tech University and competes in the tie-down roping and team roping.

For over 40 years, the Weitz family has owned and operated, Weitz Ranch, W.W. Cattle Company and Weitz Ranch Hunting. Their business is focused on striving to be stewards of the land and preserving the western way of life. “In life, you must try to nurture and take care of things and if you take care of the land, it will take care of you,” said Doyle.

Growing up on a ranch and in the western heritage provides a lifestyle not typical to the society of today. Doyle and Renee chose to raise their children in a culture that provides lessons not only applicable to their surroundings but something that they can apply anywhere and be successful.

“Ranching is a lifestyle. Not just something you do on the weekends or every once in a while,” said Renee. “You are either in it or you’re not.” The lifestyle they are choosing to live takes hard work and dedication, but it has not kept them from participating in other passions.

Both, Chet and Chainey, love playing sports. They share a common interest in playing tennis and being on the Mason High School Tennis Team. Their weekends could be spent in the rodeo arena, on the ranch or at the tennis courts. Renee mentioned that “when we are not rodeoing, we may be at a tennis meet or just following the kids around to each of their events.”

Family and friends play such a large role in the Weitz’s lives. They love to do things as a family whether it is work or play. There have been times where more kids would go home with them from a rodeo than came, just to be able to work cows or help around the ranch. They have always welcomed people to help out in a branding or come for a hunt.

Their business continues as a family tradition and consists of running a cow-calf operation, raising goats, producing irrigated coastal hay and providing guided hunts across multiple counties.

Other than the general animal care, their day-to-day responsibilities consist of feeding, checking water, building fence and checking livestock. During hunting season, they expect to have hunters almost every weekend. With hunters coming and going, there is an added responsibility of guiding and preparing for them.

Nowadays, when large pieces of property sale, they are broken up, making it harder on a rancher managing multiple locations. “We try to manage everything ourselves, but we are a little spread out so we’re moving around having to go to each place every day,” expressed Doyle.

Chet and Chainey, have grown up helping with every aspect of the ranch. “Both of our children learned how to work hard from a young age,” said Renee. With Chet being in college and Chainey about to graduate high school, life is going to look a lot different for Doyle and Renee.

The lesson of working hard was not limited to the ranch and the family business, it was something Chet and Chainey learned in the rodeo arena, too.

“Both THSRA and growing up on a ranch has taught us how to be responsible and take good care of our animals,” said Chainey. “It has also taught that hard work pays off and nothing worth having is ever given to you, it is earned.”

Overcoming defeat and putting in the practice is important in their household. Knowing that if you are not practicing or bettering yourself, someone else is, keeps the drive and hard work alive in anything in life.

The Weitz family has been a part of region 10 for at least 12 years, and Renee has served on the board since Chet was in sixth grade. It is easy to say the family has created lifelong memories, friends and family in the region.

“Win, lose or draw, you make some great friends, connections and family that really bonds a lifestyle together,” said Renee. Her kids are competing against kids of the friends she made during her time in high school rodeo.

Doyle and Renee explained that THSRA is parallel with the ranching way of life in taking care of animals and the rodeo events. Learning the skills necessary to rodeo come from the ranching way of life in general.

McCoy’s prides itself on putting people first and serving communities, so it means a lot to farmers and ranchers to know they are backed by an exemplary company. When the Weitz’s need anything from farm and is their

“Being recognized as our region’s McCoy’s Farm and Ranch Family is a great honor. We try to promote the rodeo, ranching, and western heritage lifestyle and it is an honor to be nominated for anything that promotes that,” expressed Doyle.

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By CORLEY CALLAHAN – Performance Reporter

This time of year, many of our THSRA high school competitors are wrapping up their seasons and looking toward the future. In Region X, we’ve had many past members who have gone on to the college, amateur and even the professional level of rodeo. But for some, the big question is, “How did they do it?”

To help answer that question, we’ve talked with Region X alumnus, Chet Weitz . Chet is a full-time college student at Texas Tech, and along with school and rodeo, Chet has been rodeoing professionally, as his schedule allows, and competes in both the Tiedown Roping and the Team Roping. When asked how he was managing school, traveling, and pro rodeos he said, “It’s pretty simple actually. You have to work really hard and not get behind on your schoolwork.”

Chet explained that Texas Tech requires students to take at least nine of their semester hours as in-person hours, and that he personally has been taking all of his semester hours as in-person classes. To manage this, he spends any free time he has on the