Page 153 - February 2021

Fisher Ranch horses including two World Champion PRCA geldings. Fisher received
his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science before founding the historic family ranching business. The breeding program started in 1949 and included three AQHA Champions in cutting, roping and barrel racing. As part of the Creek Nation, the Roy Fisher Ranch today totals more than 15,000 acres and is operated by family.
HAYMAKER SALE COMPANY
In 1952, Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall
of Fame Inductee Chet Robertson made the decision to go into the horse business with his brother, Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame Inductee Dale Robertson. People go into the horse business every day, but when Robertson made his decision, the race horse industry was about to change.
The Haymaker Farm was established, initially breeding and racing only Quarter Horses but within a few years Thoroughbreds were added to the program. The Robertsons had an uncanny talent in choosing top quality broodmares, which led to many Champions, stakes winners and winners at the track. Haymaker Farms owned and bred over 120 Register of Merits, 20 stakes winners and five Champions with earnings in the millions.
The success of their breeding farm led to Chet wanting to reduce his stock in 1963. This is when he realized there was not a good sale around, so the brothers simply started their own horse sale.
The rest is history. Haymaker Sales Company quicky grew and gained the reputation at THE sales company in the United States for Quarter Horses of all ages. People from all over the world would attend they Haymaker Sale to obtain the best Quarter Horses available. With Chet’s knowledge of horses and bloodlines, along with his honest and sincere business sense, the once-a-year Haymaker Sale grew to several sales a year with top Quarter Horses. Many sales records for top selling individuals were added each and every year. Soon a Thoroughbred yearling sale was added in Raton, New Mexico, to service the many breeders needing a place in the southwest to market their yearlings.
The ranch and the sales company were a family operation from the start. Robertson
took great pride in his family and their ability to work together. His wife Marjorie was a key player within the company. Chet always said
he couldn’t have done any of it without Marj at his side. Their children, Mike and Pat, were not only an integral part of his business, but of his support system as well. Dale was also an integral part of the sales company, coming back from his various TV appearances to be the announcer for each and every sale.
One key to Chet’s success as President of Haymaker Sale was his belief that not every
owner and not every horse fit Haymaker
Sales. He would agonize over the sales entries every time to make sure he was offering the public the best individuals available at the
time. This meant that Chet would turn down consignments if he felt the owner would be needlessly spending consignment fees, traveling expense, commission fee and the expense of getting their horse ready for the sale. Those phone calls were hard to make, but he made them. Chet always recommended a different sale venue to those owners. He believed he would
be saving the owner time, trouble and money
in the end. After getting turned down, many consignors would make a point of culling their herds elsewhere and improve their stock just so they could make it into Haymaker Sales.
The Haymaker legacy began in the late 1940’s. Along the way, they bred World Champions, stakes winners, record setters, and outstanding breeding stock. For 17 years the Haymaker Farm was absent from the horse racing business and just bred their stock for the marketplace which was the Haymaker Sale. After the death of Chet Robertson, the Haymaker Sale was sold and became known as the Heritage Place.
INVITATION ONLY
1990 stallion Invitation Only (Barpassers Image-Bears Raisin Kane, Mr Kane Raiser) was bred by Gene and Frieda Maxwell, owned by Fritz and Carole Leeman, and foaled at David James’ Ranch in Oakdale, California. His foals have earned $5.3 million and more than 142,702 points in AQHA competition, including 80 AQHA World Champions with 477 Superiors, over $2.9 million in NSBA (National Snaffle Bit Association) earnings, and over $1.2 million in AQHA Incentive Fund earnings. In 2014, his offspring reached 77,064 points and Invitation Only became the all-time leader by points earned. He was AQHA’s leading sire from 2006-2013, and is the leading sire of: AQHA ROM earners, Western Pleasure earnings, Equi-stat Western Pleasure earnings, and NSBA earnings. He was the leading sire of money earners from 2003- 2004 and from 2006-2009. He was inducted into the NSBA Hall of Fame in 2008. As a competitor, Invitation Only earned 43 AQHA performance points and was third in the Two-Year-Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure and seventh in the Junior Western Pleasure at the 1992 and 1993 AQHA World Championship Shows. His first foal crop produced the All American Congress Champion and Reserve Champion Two-Year-Old Western Pleasure Futurity winners. Invitation Only sold at the James Ranch dispersal sale for $2.35 million in 2005, and stood from 2005-2008 in Oklahoma. Invitation Only was purchased by the Leemans
in 2015 and lived out his retirement at Leeman Farms with his current owners. Invitation Only died in 2019 at the age of 29.
Glenn Cantrell
Corona Cartel
Fisher Ranch
Haymaker Sale Company
Invitation Only
SPEEDHORSE February 2022 151
Jeff Kirkbride Photography Speedhorse Archives Speedhorse Archives