Jack Westmoreland recipient of CTR Spirit Award at banquet

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

Jack Westmoreland, 12, went with his father, BJ, to help out at the Chisholm Trail Roundup two months before last year‘s event at Lockhart City Park to begin helping with the set up.

“I think the first two or three days, it wasn’t much of a choice,” said Eric DeHoyos, Chairman of the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce. “After that, Jack wanted to come out and hang out with us and work. He worked his tail off. One thing I admired about him was his commitment. He doesn’t quit.”

Saturday night, at the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce annual banquet at the Luling Civic Center, Jack was honored as the recipient of the Chisholm Trail Roundup Spirit Award.

“He doesn’t ask for much,” Dehoyos said of Jack Westmoreland. “The only thing he asked of me was white Gatorade. I made sure he had white Gatorade. Like his dad, he put in countless hours.”

Jack is the son of Erin and BJ Westmoreland. He is 12 and attends Lockhart Junior High as a seventh grader. His sister, Reese, is 7 and attends Clear Fork Elementary School.

“At first, it was kind of a scheduling thing with the family,” recalled BJ. “(Jack) had to come to work with me the first two days. We got there about 6:30 or 7 in the morning, but then he decided he wanted to come on his own with me for about two more weeks. We worked weekends and during the week. He wanted to come. He had a choice.”

Jack helped Donald Schneider stripe the parking lot, but once Schneider got the young Westmoreland going, he was pretty much on his own. Jack also helped with marking the locations of the vendor spots.

“There was a lot of walking when all was said and done,” BJ Westmoreland said.

Jack is already asking his father about helping this year.

“Oh yes,” BJ said. “Jack and Donald are like two peas in the pod. They really hit it off. I don’t know if Jack is a glutton for punishment or not.”

The award was kept a secret from Jack, who was in the dark until DeHoyos made a comment about white Gatorade.

“His sister already asked when she gets to start working on it,” BJ said. “I said, ‘Wait a minute, slow down.’ She’s very protective and very proud of her big brother.”