16 THE INVESTER Endowed with overall balance and powerful hindquarters, he was built to move. Heidi Nyland POINTED FIRST TOWARD A CAREER Lou, was bred by Eldon England, as a halter horse, The Invester seemed des- Oklahoma City, Okla. tined to remain within that realm. And, Zippo Pat Bars, a 1965 chestnut stallion while he and his offspring did well in that by Three Bars (TB) and out of Leo Pat by event, it soon became apparent that the stal- Leo, had been purchased by Paul Curtner lion’s true calling would be as a rail horse. of Jacksboro, Tex., to cross on his Poco Endowed with overall balance, a power- Pine mares. ful stifle, well-rounded croup and strong The AAA-rated racehorse’s first foal crop hocks, he was built to move. hit the ground in 1969. Among its 12 mem- The Invester, a 1969 sorrel stallion by bers were The Invester and Zippo Pine Bar. Zippo Pat Bars and out of Hank’s Peppy Both colts would go on to achieve legendary PHOTO BY DALCO The Invester – one of the pleasure industry’s first great sires – is enshrined in both the AQHA and NSBA Halls of Fame. 170 LEGENDS 6 Percentage Three Bars (TB) Myrtle Dee Zippo Pat Bars Leo Leo Pat The Invester Dunny Girl 1969 - 2002 Reed McCue Dinky Reed Dinky Rainbow Hank’s Peppy Lou Last Hank Logan’s Miss Lue Logan’s Betty sire status and, in effect, serve as each oth- ers’ most formidable breeding pen rivals. Halter and Performance Record: Open Performance Register of Merit; AQHA Champion; Superior Halter; AQHA Hall of Fame Horse. A Well Progeny Record: Thought-Out Plan Foal Crops: 29 Performance Point-Earners: 687 Foals Registered: 1,163 Performance Points Earned: 21,029 The Invester first entered the show ring AQHA Champions: 11 Performance Registers of Merit: 341 as a halter prospect named Hank Lou Bars. Amateur Champions: 1 Superior Performance Awards: 143 An up-and-coming young showman named Youth Champions: 4 World Champions: 4 Jerry Wells watched from the stands as the Halter Point-Earners: 158 High-Point Winners: 3 then-70-something England showed the sor- Halter Points Earned: 1,476 NSBA Earnings: $313,220 rel weanling colt at the 1969 Oklahoma Superior Halter Awards: 4 State Fair. While the youngster did not place well in the class, Wells knew he had to have him. He followed England out of the show jump-start Wells’ horse-handling career. pen and asked him if he would sell the The native Oklahoman would go on to young horse. secure a firm reputation as a horseman “I thought he was the hand-made, pret- capable of finding the proverbial “dia- tiest colt out there,” Wells recalled. “He monds in the rough.” Among the other leg- had a very pretty head, a pretty neck, and ends he is credited with discovering and/or about as pretty a hip and croup as you owning are Sonny Dee Bar, Te N’ Te, could put on one. And he had a nice stifle. Impressive and Conclusive (see chapter 18). He didn’t carry a humongous gaskin or But Wells didn’t keep the England- hind leg, but it fit him. He had correct bred colt long enough to show him. Just feet and legs and he was made with over- two months after taking the youngster all balance. home to his new property and half-fin- “I asked England what he’d want for ished barn, Wells found a buyer for him. him,” he continued, “and he quoted me a “I knew I probably wouldn’t have him price. The biggest old tears came out of his that long because he was sure stud materi- eyes when I said I’d take him. al,” he said. “Plus, I was going into busi- “I asked if he was sure he wanted to ness for myself then. My barn was just sell him. He said he didn’t want to, but about finished. I had room for a few hors- thought he should. The colt was going to es in it, but I had to sell the new ones. I be a yearling soon, and England didn’t didn’t have any place to keep him.” think he’d be able to handle him.” In December of 1969, George Pardi of Buying the young stud for a modest Fredericksburg, Texas, was in the market $3,500 was an investment that would for a new horse. He asked Jack Benson to 171 PHOTO BY DALCO While owned by George Pardi, Fredricksburg, Tex., The Invester was shown by trainer George Benson to an AQHA Championship and Superior halter award. find a perfect riding horse for him; an tion and went back to him for a replace- older horse ready to work under saddle. ment horse. Two years earlier, Benson had bought “Jack called looking for another horse for Three Storms from Wells on Pardi’s Pardi,” Wells said. “He wanted an older behalf. The horse had been a racehorse horse he could get going under saddle. I had and Pardi successfully showed him to his The Invester. I told him all about him. He AQHA Championship. said he wanted an older horse, but he’d look Unfortunately, Three Storms died soon at him. I told him, if you look at him, you’ll after Pardi purchased him. Benson and buy him. I priced him at $15,000. That’s Pardi were happy with Wells’ horse selec- what Pardi gave.” 172 LEGENDS 6 THE INVESTER Here’s a nice circa late 1970s shot of three men who were instrumental in The Invester’s development as a top performance sire. From the left, Jerry Stanford and Brad McCamy are mounted on a pair of young Investers and Jack Benson is astride of "the old man." PHOTO BY JIM KEELAND, COURTESY QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL Vestida Moneca, a 1973 sorrel mare by The Invester and out of Muneca Mia, earned a Superior in western Pleasure. 173 Wells added that The Invester went to the all. He was such a pretty son of a gun to right place in a deal that was good for every- have a name like that. I don’t remember one involved. how we came up with The Invester, but I “That little rascal went a long way knew his name had to be changed.” toward getting my barn finished,” he said. With his new name and owner, The “That was a lot of money at the time. And, Invester headed to Texas. he found his niche. I might not have done all that with him. I would have focused on Texas Unlimited showing halter. It worked out well for everybody.” At the Pardi ranch, trainer Benson In the short time between the quickly bonded with the horse he nick- Oklahoma State Fair and December 12, named “Baldy.” Under his care and condi- when Pardi signed for The Invester, Wells tioning, The Invester earned Superior hal- took time for one more thing. He changed ter horse status and was on his way to the young stallion’s name. becoming an AQHA Champion. At the time, Wells considered the horse Benson knew he had to keep his a solid and well-planned investment. prized horse when Pardi dispersed his Little did he know that when he changed stock in 1973. Owner and trainer worked the 8-month-old’s name, he established a out a plan. Benson would buy The theme that would identify Invester-bred Invester for $25,000, paying $5,000 down horses for years. and the remainder over time. Benson “Hank Lou Bars just didn’t fit him,” moved his training operation and his Wells recalled. “I didn’t like that name at newly purchased horse to Irvin PHOTO BY HAROLD CAMPTON, COURTESY QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL Vester Vision, a 1975 sorrel stallion by The Invester and out of Miss Pocket Money, was an AQHA Champion and earned a Superior in western pleasure. 174 LEGENDS 6 THE INVESTER Catchman’s ranch in Bellville, Texas. home. He was big and strong, but he There, Benson stood The Invester and could stop and spin and work a cow. For shared the profits with his landlord. Jack to let me ride that horse, that was The move introduced Benson to something. He was special to Jack. He new friends who would be instru- truly loved that horse. He promoted him mental in The Invester’s future. and he knew what he had.” Future co-owner Brad McCamy first saw The Invester while working at Catchman’s. “He was running out in The Makings the pen,” McCamy remembered. “Even if you didn’t know much about of a Sire horses, you’d know there was some- Two years later, in 1977, the Benson- thing special about him. He just had McCamy pair founded Stallions Unlimited that presence.” and co-owned The Invester. There, the sorrel McCamy began working for Benson stallion stood next to several of the day’s top a year later. He watched Benson’s spe- stallions, including Hobby Horse and Red cial bond with the stallion he worked Dee Hobby. The Invester quickly proved with daily, the stallion McCamy himself as a promising young sire. called “Big Daddy.” “For his first four or five foal crops, The “I never saw anybody else ride Invester was one of the leading sires of hal- him,” McCamy said. “Then Jack went ter class winners every year,” McCamy said. away and asked me to ride him so he “Then, when those foals were old enough to wouldn’t be so fresh when he got ride, we found out it wasn’t a fluke that a PHOTO BY REGGIE RUSSELL, COURTESY QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL Miss Balance Plus, a 1979 palomino mare by The Invester and out of Miss Gay Gold, was typey enough to win halter futurities as a weanling, and balanced enough to earn a Superior in western pleasure as a mature horse.