Our Team

Bill Melson, the general manager of Cox Ranch and Sweetwater Land and Cattle Company, has been involved with horses and cattle all his life.

Growing up in and around the West Texas town of Odessa, Bill naturally was involved with horses, cattle and rodeos in his youth. Some 45 years ago at age 21, he went to work at the Rocker b Ranch near Big Lake, Texas. Since then he has been involved in both horse and cattle reproduction and management.

Bill joined Bobby Cox as manager of Western Hills Ranch near Abilene, Texas, in 1977 and in 1978 they established Winner Maker Farm in Gardendale, Texas, just north of the Midland-Odessa area. By the early 1990's, the broodmare band at Winner Maker had grown to more than 100 and included some of the best racing-bred mares in the American Quarter Horse industry.

At Winner Maker, Bill stood the World Champion Merganser, leading sire Zevi (TB), leading sire By Yawl, the World Champion sire Special Task and the Champion Make Mine Bud. Using those stallions, some outside stallions in which Bobby Cox owned shares and the outstanding herd of Cox Ranch mares, Bobby Cox soon became one of the nation's leading and most respected breeders.

In 2007, Bobby Cox moved his long-time employee and friend Bill to the Cox Ranch in Peaster, Texas, to become the general manager of it and Sweetwater Land and Cattle Company.

Bill and his wife Patricia, who have been married since 1964, reside on the Peaster ranch. Their daughter Sheridan lives in nearby Lewisville. Son Shawn and wife LaDonna live in San Antonio with children Chad and Morgan. Son Jordan and wife Becky live in Odessa with twins Paxton and Palyn.