Robert E. McKnight, Jr. is the grandson of Ewell and Lucille White McKnight, as well as Oscar and Tea Bourg. Bobby is the son of Robert E. McKnight and Marie Gene McKnight. He is married to Lynda and has a daughter named Alex, a son-in-law named Stephen Mixer, and grandchildren named GK, Manny, and Clay. Bobby’s siblings include John McKnight, Cathy McKnight, Marci Stocker, Sue Ivey, Debbie Milburn, and Rebecca Stuphel.
Bobby has been a lifelong resident of Jeff Davis County. He actively participated in all the sports activities that Fort Davis had to offer. After graduating from Fort Davis High School, Bobby enrolled in Texas Christian University and earned a business degree.
His experiences in ranching started at a young age, working alongside his brother and father on the ranch. He has always taken pleasure in various aspects of ranch work, particularly working with horses and cattle. Learning from family, neighbors, and ranch hands in working crews, he acquired the skills necessary for success in ranch work. Each of them taught him something valuable.
Bobby has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to the agricultural community, perhaps influenced by genetics. The McKnight family’s involvement in the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association dates back to his great uncle Sam McKnight’s service on the executive committee in 1913. Bobby continues this legacy as the fourth generation of his family to actively support the TSCRA. His service extends beyond this, encompassing roles on the Soil Conservation Board, past presidency of the Highland Hereford Association, directorship of the Sandhills Hereford & Quarter Horse Show, directorship of the Permian Basin Area Foundation, past directorship of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a two-year term as president of the TSCRA, a 6-year term on the Federal Reserve Board, and directorship of and recognition by the Texas Hereford Association.
He is responsible for the day-to-day management of a family ranching operation based in West Texas, which includes both a cow-calf operation and a yearling operation. He oversees his herd of Quarter Horses and manages registered herds of Herefords and Angus, which he maintains for his bull battery. In between, he somehow manages to find time for meals and rest, albeit intermittently.
Bobby firmly believes that the vitality of the ranching lifestyle and culture depends on treating it as a sustainable business. The slim margins of ranching, coupled with market volatility and the constant care of animal assets, demand continuous attention for survival. With a little help from providence and ample rainfall, ranch life can be satisfying. There are undoubtedly easier ways to earn a living, but Bobby asserts that there is no superior path than living the ranch life.
He affirms that he and his siblings all developed their strong work ethics and organizational skills from their upbringing as ranch kids. These qualities have served them exceptionally well and continue to do so. Ranching has a way of fostering such attributes. Bobby envisions a prosperous future for all of them.
