AQHA and NSBA trainer Waymond Roberts, passed away Aug. 27, at his home after a hard-fought battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). He was 69.

With his wife of 32 years, Susie, by his side, Waymond established and operated Roberts Quarter Horses, an immensely successful breeding and training operation in Chatsworth, Georgia. Together they built a successful breeding operation with American Quarter Horse Association stallions, Its A Zippo Good Bar and Justa Creepin, at the nucleus.

Waymond was fiercely dedicated to his family. He and Susie considered nephews, Dustin Millsap and Tyler “Stretch” Bailey,” their own sons, bringing them into the business and traveling with them to shows across the country.

Some of the show industry’s most successful horses, including Gone Viral, The Rock, Cowboysainteasytoluv, So Obviously Hot, Come N Get Ya Some, Rocked And Ready, Suddenly Best Man It’s A Good Pleasure, Sweet N Spicey Me, Baby Im Comin For U and Shesaezrockingoodbar, have Waymond and/or Patty (Susie) Roberts listed as breeders on their registration papers.

Waymond prepared yearling longe line contenders that won at the highest-level shows and futurities, including the Quarter Horse Congress, Tom Powers Futurity, Reichert Celebration, National Snaffle Bit Association World Show and trained Western Pleasure horses that went on to win numerous titles in a variety of events.

Even as news of his passing traveled through the horse industry many of the horses that came out of the Roberts program were competing at the AQHA Amateur Select World Show in Fort Worth. Just Wednesday, Gary Holme, of Denver, Colorado, rode Come N Get Ya Some, a 2008 buckskin gelding by RL Best Of Sudden and out of the Roberts special broodmare, Call Me Snuggles, to a win in the L2 Horsemanship there.

But as successful a breeder and trainer Waymond was, he was just as well-known for his kindness to his fellow horsemen and passion for the industry.

“He was a good man and has a great wife and really good family,” said fellow horseman Dale Livingston. “Waymond was a great example of the way we should all be… a wise man and will be missed for sure.”

Waymond served his country honorably in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict.

He was preceded in death by his parents: James Roberts and Geraldine Pettit.

In addition to his wife and “boys,” Waymond is survived by daughter, and son in law: Tiffiany and Jason Williams and children Vance and Vacey of Pleasant View TN; sister and brother in law: Sheilla and Danny Godfrey,sister in law and brother in law: Pam and Seth Reed both of Chatsworth, brother in law Thomas Millsap of Ellijay, niece: Traci Cochran, nephew: Derek Godfrey, “Paw’s babies” Clay,Libby, Brennan, and Hadie all of Chatsworth,special family John and Cathy Waters of Chatsworth and his faithful companions Poncho and Millie, aunts, uncles cousins, and many friends.

 In honor of Waymond’s request, there will be no funeral service.

Donations may be made in his memory to:

The ALS Association Gift Processing Center, PO Box 37022 Boone Iowa 50037-0022  www.alsa.org.

St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105   www.stjude.org.

Arrangements are by Shawn Chapman Funeral Home, Crematory and Monuments of Chatsworth.www.shawnchapmanfh.com.