Most successful sires don’t arrive by happenstance. They are created carefully by honest assessments of mares and strategic selection of their crossings. Then it takes patience and a solid training program as they are given the opportunity to reach their potential. And that’s just the start of it.

Hillary Timchak of Capital Quarter Horses in Pilot Point, Texas, gets it. She and her parents bred, raised and campaigned Hay Goodlookn (Gus), a 2017 stallion by legendary American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) performance horse sire Invitation Only and out of Whatscookngoodlookin (Candi), a multiple AQHA World and Congress Champion and National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) Horse of the Year.

“This cross was put together with the assistance of Rusty and Katie Green, Timchak explained. “We knew at the time that Candi would be a star producer after her first few foal crops, and wanted to breed her to an exceptional stallion with foundational bloodlines. This cross sure works! Not only do we love Gus, but we have repeated this cross and love the results.”

Gus had a lot of presence from the start. Well-made and with the exception of a “stallion moment or two’ he proved to be very easy to handle and train.

“Just because a horse is bred to be a stallion doesn’t mean they should be one, and we knew we had to carefully consider that as Gus was being started under saddle,” Timchak explained. “Any concerns we had that he wouldn’t dazzle us were pretty quickly alleviated. From the first few trips around the round pen we knew that if nothing crazy happened, he would be everything we hoped and more.”

As a 2-year-old, Gus won the Quarter Horse Congress Masters Western Pleasure with Andy Cochran and the pair went on to capture an AQHA World Championship title in the 2-Year-Old  Western Pleasure. In 2020 Gus won both the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure and the Breeders Championship Futurity 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure at the NSBA World Show with Timchak and was Reserve in the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure with Cochran.

But not every successful show horse has what it takes to make a breeding horse.

“Throughout the breaking him out, we all watched closely to determine how he took to training, what his mind was like, and how his body handled the physical aspect of the process,” Timchak said. “He passed all the tests with flying colors. He was strong very early, eager to learn, and easy to teach. The bloodlines were there, the ability and conformation was there, and the soundness of mind was there. We knew at that point that we could start marketing him as a future breeding stallion.”

Hay Goodlookn’s first foals were old enough to show under saddle in 2023 and already they are collecting accolades like AQHA World Champion, Reserve Congress Champion, and Reserve NSBA World Champion.

Up To Know Good, out of Momma Knows Best, was the Level 3 Champion in the 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure at the AQHA World Show with RJ King in the saddle. The mare, bred by Capital Quarter Horses, also placed third in the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure with Timchak; as well as fourth in the Coughlin 2-Year-Old Maiden Open Western Pleasure and fourth in the Super Sires 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure at the Congress with King.

HayGirlHey, out of DarkSyde Of The Moon, was Reserve Congress Champion in the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes with owner Brooke Granzow. They also placed seventh in the Congress 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure. Teamed with Drew DeBuhr, HayGirlHey was Reserve in the Super Sires 2-Year-Old Sales Graduate Western Pleasure and ninth in the Congress Super Sires 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure. At the NSBA World Show, Granzow rode HayGirlHey to a Reserve Championship in the Breeders Championship Futurity (BCF) 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure and they earned a bronze in the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure.

Look Here Cowboy, out of Huntin For A Cowboy, placed third at the Congress in the 2-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure and ninth in the Open Division of that same class with owner Jessie Landry. Chase Barnes rode the mare bred by Ditty Up LLC, toa fifth place finish in the 2-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure there as well.

From his second crop, Frank The Tankk was crowned Congress Champion in the Open Western Longe Line with Florida trainer Kathie Kennedy, showing. The gelding out of All Kinds Of Trouble was bred by Dorothy Hornback and is owned by Nancy Ditty, who showed him to a Reserve Congress Championship in the Non-Pro Western Longe Line.

And Miss Goodlookn, a filly out of Missy Machine, earned a Color Breed Congress Championship in Open Western Longe Line with Anthony Leier showing and a Reserve Championship there in the Open Non-Pro Longe Line Solid with owner John Sparks.

Timchak says they are pleased with all the early success but just as excited about the feedback coming from trainers across the country about Hay Goodlookn offspring.

“The most common themes are that they are great-minded, exceptionally talented and smart,” she said.

Kennedy said she’s been involved with two already and both have been exceedingly good-minded and talented.

“I am thrilled to have a small part in Hay Goodlookn’s success as a sire with such a big future in front of him,” she said. “I was fortunate to foal out the first born, Do A Double Take (AQHA/APHA stallion) for breeder Adam Kober. He was then sold to Australia through agents Kane and Holly Skopp. I had this colt through his yearling year and loved his great mind and movement. In September, I received a call from Nancy Ditty, asking if I would show her new Hay Goodlookn yearling, Frank The Tankk. I agreed of course, and she had him ready for me to show. Again, great mind and great movement. I am happy to have Gus’s first Congress Champion. This stallion has a great future and I am thrilled to be part of it from the beginning!”

King is also confident Hay Goodlookn has a great future ahead of him as a sire.

“We’ve really enjoyed getting to start several foals from Hay Goodlookn’s first two foal crops,” said the Texas-based trainer. “They’ve had a lot of natural self-carriage and are very trainable. Gus is proving to be a very promising young stud. We’re excited to have some up and coming show horses sired by him and some mares of our own bred to him.”

Timchak is especially excited about a 2021 mare owned by Capital Quarter Horses by Hay Goodlookn out of Ima Potential (the dam of No Doubting Me). She is in training with Angie Cannizzaro of CAC Show Horses in Oklahoma and will be shown in 3-Year-Old Maiden and Novice Horse events this year with Cannizzaro and in 3-Year-Old Non-Pro events with Timchak.

“Every Hay Goodlookn I have been around or ridden has a great jog and very solid feet,” Cannizzaro said. “They are structurally correct, have so much rhythm and every one I have ridden jogs really well. The Gus foals  have lots of self-carriage at the lope and are incredibly willing and smart.”

And there are many more Gus foals just now getting ready for show careers, including those bred by Capital Quarter Horses, out of mares like Momma Knows Best, Johnnie On The Spot, Shez Immortal, Aint Nothn To It, and more.

“We also purchased a couple new broodmares that we are very excited about and should produce some awesome Hay Goodlookns,” Timchak said.

But she’s equally excited about the foals raised by others across the country.

“Some names that stick out are Forever Kool, Cool Cruzen Lady, Whos Cheatin Who, LDR Look My Way, Too Cute To Snooze, Made N May, Hereicomagain, Dressed To Party and Consider Me Best,” she said. “Some have had amazing Gus foals already, and some will be having their first.”

Timchak said every single one of the Gus foals are pets.

“They love people, walk right up to you in the pasture and do whatever is asked. I know others feel the same way,” she said. “One of my favorite stories came from Cole and Liz Baker. They sent me a video of their daughter, Brooklyn, leading their weanling Hay Goodlookn to turnout like an old show horse. I love to hear fun things like that.”

Hay Goodlookn is standing at Capital Quarter Horses, owned by Timchak, her parents; Blair and Susan Roberts and her husband of just over one year, Eric Timchak.

His 2024 fee is $3,500 including a $500 booking fee. Both fresh and frozen semen is available and shipping within the U.S. and Canada. Local pickup is $125; UPS and Fed-Ex is $325; and airline counter-to-counter is $425.

Hay Goodlookn is enrolled in the following programs: NSBA BCF/SIF, Premier Sires, Super Sires, APHA Breeders Trust, Southern Belle Breeders, West Coast Breeders, and is offered every year in the Audrey Grace Auction, Michigan Breeders Futurity Auction, Iowa Breeders Auction, and Gallop Stallion Service Auction.

With reaction to the Hay Goodlookn foals like that it’s easy to get excited about the future but Timchak remains pragmatic.

    “In my view, a breeder, more specifically, a stallion owner’s goal should be to improve the industry and better the stock we are producing as a whole,” she said. “My hope with Hay Goodlookn is to produce quality, trainable offspring that anyone can ride and that will last. So far, it seems like we are doing pretty well at that!”

For information visit www.capitalquarterhorses.com or call (940) 324-5952.