There are very few breeding operations with marepower like that of Capital Quarter Horses in Pilot Point, Texas.

Blair, Susan and Hillary Roberts brought with them a lifetime of experience in the horse industry when they established the operation in 2011 on 84 acres in the heart of Texas horse country. Since then they have built it step-by-step with a solid foundation of mares they showed to numerous AQHA, NSBA World and Reserve World Championships, Congress Championships, Hall of Fame honors and a Horse of the Year title.

“We are fortunate to have curated some of the finest breeding and show mares in the industry over the years. These include the matriarch of our program, Whatscookngoodlookin, Only A Breeze, Only Ever After, Momma Knows Best, Johnnie On The Spot, The Cooki Monster, and Shez Immortal,” said Hillary Roberts. “All of these mares are World Champions, Congress Champions, and or major producers.”

The Roberts carefully consider bloodlines, conformation and mindset when selecting a stallion for each cross.

“We have always hoped that a stallion prospect would result,” Hillary explained. “When we chose Invitation Only for our matriarch, Whatscookngoodlookin, we hoped that dream would come true.”

Invitation Only is the American Quarter Horse Association’s All-Time Leading Sire of Point Earners and the National Snaffle Bit Association’s All-Time Leading Sire of Money Earners. Whatscookngoodlookin (by A Good Machine) herself is a seven-time AQHA World Champion and 11-time Congress Champion. Her foals have already earned over $248,000.

So when Hay Goodlookn (Gus) arrived in 2017, there was a lot of celebrating going on at Capital Quarter Horses.

“He was this cute little package of perfection,” Hillary recallled. “He stood really upright and strong in his pasterns from the very start, and was nursing and moving around really early. It was easy to tell he would be built right and a quick learner.”

As time went on and Hay Goodlookn continued to mature, it quickly became apparent that he was a lot more than great bloodlines.

That’s when we began to seriously consider his career as a sire,” Hillary said. “The further along he went, the more sure we were. The plan then was to put a great show record on him, and get started in the breeding barn.”

Capital Quarter Horses trainer Andy Cochran started the flashy sorrel colt and he made his debut under saddle count by winning the 2019 Congress Masters Western Pleasure at the Quarter Horse Congress and collecting a paycheck of $25,000.

Less than a month later Cochran rode Hay Goodlookn to a win in the 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City.

In 2020 Gus was bred to a very select group of mares which included World and Congress Champions and producers including VS Lady In Red, Huntin For A Cowboy, Vital Lines Are Red, Snap Krackle Pop, Amblin So Good, Hereicomeagain, Strawberri Wine and Cool Blazing Lady, to name a few.

After the breeding season was finished the Roberts decided to have Gus return to the show pen. But the Covid-19 pandemic limited just how much he would get the chance to compete.

The first outing for Gus that year was the NSBA World Show where Hillary piloted him to a win in the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure and they also won the Breeders Championship Futurity 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure. Cochran also rode him to Reserve Championships in the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure and the BCF 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure.

With the Quarter Horse Congress cancelled that year, the next time Gus would have the opportunity to compete would be the AQHA World Championship Show in November, where he and Cochran were Reserve Champions in the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure and placed fourth in a very tough Junior Western Pleasure – his first time to show in a bridle.

Hay Goodlookn’s first foals arrived last year and Hillary says they all seem to share his great conformation and great mind.

“He puts a certain style on them that you can see as they lope across the field, very balanced and consistent,” she said. “I am most excited to learn more about how Gus crosses with the various bloodlines. You can tell what works relatively early on as foals, but I am so thrilled to see how each cross matures and breaks out. I am eager to understand more about where and how Hay Goodlookn compliments each style and bloodline of mare. That is the really fun part.”

And Hillary has been “hands on,” overseeing Hay Goodlookn’s breeding career, right there at Capital Quarter Horses, with the help of Leslie Bailey, breeding manager.

Hillary, a graduate of Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, says the Capital Quarter Horses Show and Breeding operation totals roughly 60 stalls and the breeding lab is equipped with everything you need to stand a stallion, and all the state-of-the-art equipment.

“It is a multi-faceted job,” Hillary explained.  “There is so much to it, but with all the craziness, whether a big book or small, the horse comes first. Standing a stallion is great for business and very rewarding, but they are not machines, or money trees. The care and respect for the stallion must come first in everything you do as a stallion owner. His longevity, comfort and happiness are the priorities. If this is at the center of your philosophy, success will follow.”

She acknowledges there are challenges.

“It can be tough to get it all done,” she admitted. “An off collection day, a lost shipment or a late order can make for a stressful day. However, I have learned to take everything one step at a time, and know that we are doing our best for each individual mare owner.”

And the rewards are big.

“There is just nothing like getting pictures of newborn foals by Gus from mare owners,” Hillary said. “Seeing how happy they are with their resulting foal is why we do what we do.”

Hillary and her parents are also excited about the five Gus babies at Capital Quarter Horses.

There are three fillies – out of Johnnie On The Spot, Momma Knows Best and Ima Potential – and two colts. One is out of Amblin So Good and Andy and Katie Cochran own the other, out of Onlygoodtilmidnight.

“They each show a lot of promise, and you can most certainly tell who they are by loping across the field,” Hillary said. “My favorite changes once a week, which must mean they are all special.”

Leslie agrees that a highlight of the job as stallion manager is getting positive feedback from mare owners.

“We love to hear the excitement in owners’ voices when talking about how much they love their foal,” she said.

Leslie attended Purdue University, in Indiana, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and minors in economics and entomology. After college, she worked as a trail guide in South Dakota until deciding to move south and pursue a job in the equine breeding industry. She worked with Steve Adams at EE Ranches in Whitesboro, Texas for several years, then Mid-South Equine and Dr. Tony Rocconi in Tioga, Texas.

She said working with Gus is rewarding, because every day this horse builds on the previous days and learns.

“As he is a younger stallion, the fact that he knows what his job is and enjoys doing it is impressive,” she explained. “He has a great mind and somehow he seems to improve every day.”

Leslie said he hardest part of standing a stallion is making sure everything stays organized and consistent when shipping semen.

“My goal every day is to live up to our high standard of customer service and to do all I can to accommodate mare owners and breeding farms,” she explained. “A happy customer is often a repeat customer – we want people to come back not only because they love their baby, but because working with us was a positive and easy experience.”

Over the years, breeding has become a very intricate and scientific process. Having equipment you can trust is every breeding manager’s dream.

“We have some of the best equipment in the industry for processing semen here at Capital Quarter Horses,” Leslie said. “Our equipment includes a Nucleocounter, which ensures that we are as accurate as we can get when processing our semen for shipping. Collecting stallions is a numbers game, and want to make sure that we are sending a great product out, every time.”

But ultimately, it’s customer service that makes the difference.

“We strive to make sure that the mare owner is always accommodated and we do everything in our power to make this as seamless and painless a process as it can be,” Leslie said. “What makes all stallions successful is the outstanding mares and mare owners that book to them. We recognize that, and appreciate the investment our breeders make into our stud. It is a joy to do business with great people every day.”

Hay Goodlookn is standing the 2022 breeding season at $3,500 with consideration to World and Congress Champion producing and show mares.

“Our $500 booking fee is included in the $3,500” Hillary explained. “We ship both fresh and frozen to the United States and Canada. We offer overnight shipping as well as counter-to-counter.”

Gus and his foals are enrolled in the following: NSBA BCF, West Coast Breeders, APHA Breeders Trust, Iowa Breeders Futurity, and Michigan Breeders Futurity, Super Sires and Premier Sires. Capital will be adding the Southern Belle Breeders program and are always open to suggestions from mare owners for additional programs.

For such a young stallion, Hay Goodlookn has already attracted tremendous attention of mare owners from across the United States and abroad and has quite a full book for this year. But the Roberts have also not ruled out a return to the show pen.

“We don’t have a definitive plan for this yet, as he is awfully busy in the breeding barn,” Hillary said. “Time will tell.”

For the next few months anyway, the focus is on the breeding season and Hillary says his bloodlines make him the ultimate stallion.

“There are legends on both sides – Invitation Only, and Whatscookngoodlookin,” she pointed out. “On the dam side, you also get A Good Machine and A Cooki For Certain. Lots of purple!”

And while bloodlines are certainly an important aspect of selecting a stallion, it’s not the only consideration.

“I am a huge believer in the importance of conformation,” Hillary said. “One of the first things that people notice when they come to look at Gus, either out of the stall or under saddle, is how well-built he is. He has always been a very easy-keeper as far as vet work goes, and I contribute lots of that to how he is made. He is balanced, correct, and aesthetically appealing with good bone and great feet. His short back, low hocks, and perfect hip have been an asset in his show career, and will continue to be in his breeding career.”

But perhaps the most impressive thing about Gus, and one Hillary believes will keep mare owners coming back, is his incredible temperament.

“He is fantastic minded,” Hillary said. “He learns quickly, he’s smart, and has put a great demeanor on his foals. You can handle them and take them any which way you want. We have had owners send us pictures and videos of HGL foals getting full soap baths at very young ages, laying in laps, and playing dress-up. I love it, because it showcases the great minds these foals have.”

For additional information on Hay Goodlookn visit his website at www.capitalquarterhorses.com/hay-goodlookn/ You can also keep up with him by liking his Facebook page. You can also call Hillary Roberts at (940) 324-5952 or email her at hillary@capitalqh.com.