story by Claire Vincent
“I had never won a buckle up until last year, and by the end of the year I had won 24 of them.” Noah Weeks is the 2020 Louisiana Junior High School Rodeo association state champion boys’ breakaway roper, heeler, and rookie cowboy. The reserve champion boys goat tier, chute dogger, and reserve champion all- around cowboy. Based off of Noah’s accomplishments his rookie year, you would think he has the sport of rodeo in his blood, but Noah and his brothers have had to work extra hard because they don’t come from a rodeo background. They are first generation cowboys.
Noah has grown up in Keatchie, Louisiana with his parents Chance and Beth Weeks, and his two older brothers, Lane and Matthew. Neither of his parents had anything to do with rodeo, but Noah says he is fortunate to live in the same hometown as the Murphy Family. The Murphy’s helped him and his brothers get started. KC and Julie Murphy train horses, and their two children Macon and Josey are former members of the LHSRA. Josey finished her senior year as the 2020 National High School Rodeo Finals Champion breakaway roper.
Starting the 2021 rodeo season, Noah will compete in team roping, chute dogging, goat tying, breakaway roping, and ribbon roping. His favorite event is team roping on his bay heel horse, Gambler. “I love to team rope the most because, I get to do it with my buddies.” Being that team roping is Noah’s favorite event, it’s only right that his idol is seven- time Wrangler National Finals qualifier, two-time Wrangler National Finals champion heeler, and 2016 PRCA all-around cowboy, Junior Nogueira. Although Junior is one of the greatest heelers of all time to Noah, that’s not the only person he looks up to. His brother Matthew is one of his biggest supporters. Noah says a special thank you to Matthew for helping him every day in practice pen and for always pushing him to be the best he possibly can be.
In preparation for a rodeo, Noah practices every day, sometimes twice a day. He says he tries his best on every practice run and rodeo run, and just sees where he ends up in the standings. Noah enjoyed his first year as a member of the Louisiana Junior High School Rodeo Association because “It’s like a big family, and the support system is like no other.”
After high school, Noah plans to college rodeo for Panola Community College in Carthage, Texas. Later, he wants to become a farrier, and team rope and steer wrestle in the pro circuit. In the meantime, Noah is focused on one thing, and that is winning! His main goal for junior high and high school rodeo is to be number one. He says, “I want to be the state champion in every single event I compete in.”
