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The Quarter Horse Journal
03/ 2004
What's in a name? Plenty, when it comes to naming a Quarter Horse. And in the case of The Invester, his original name might have carried his lineage. But when it came to his destiny - it certainly didn't reflect the contributions he would have on the balance sheet of the breed's future.
Foaled in 1969 and bred by Eldon England of Oklahoma City, The Invester was originally named Hank Lou Bars, tracing back to his sire, Zippo Pat Bars and dam, Hank's Peppy Lou.
However, the name just didn't fit the charismatic sorrel colt whose pedigree made him a candidate to do just about anything. And he did. The Invester became an AQHA Champion with points in cutting, western pleasure, reining and hunter under saddle. His cutting abilities earned him more than $12,000 in NCHA competition. He also could hold his own in the halter arena, earning a Superior and standing grand or reserve champion 45 times out of 50 shows.
Horseman Jack Benson bought the colt for George Pardi of Fredericksburg, Texas, but then wound up owning him after the Pardi dispersal in 1973. Benson and trainer Brad McCamy worked to promote the stallion, who Benson said, "moved like a dream." The Invester's natural movement – athletic and powerful, yet graceful – enabled him to become a foundation sire of the modern pleasure horse. His foals inherited his abilities, and at the 1980 All American Quarter Horse Congress, there were six of The Invester's foals in the pleasure futurity finals. Four of them took the top-four spots. He was on his way.
He sired four AQHA world champions – El Cicatriz, 1974 youth yearling gelding; We Are Magic, 1980 weanling halter; Bonafide, 1985 youth western pleasure; and Impulsions, 1989 2-year-old western pleasure champion.
The fate of The Invester changed in 1989 when Benson was killed in an automobile accident on his way to a show. This tragedy left an uncertain future for The Invester, but not for long. Carol and Dan McWhirter of Doniphan, Nebraska, had owned a son of The Invester and were impressed with the bloodline. So along with their friend, Wayne Atchley, a partnership was formed and The Invester had a new home in Nebraska.
Carol McWhirter once wrote about The Investers' arrival to their place, "a dignitary had arrived to live with us. We often referred to him as the chairman of the board, and that description fit him perfectly."
The chairman certainly carried on his duties as a great sire. Of his 1,163 foals, 426 earned 22,360 points. There were 16 AQHA Champions, one youth supreme champion and numerous Registers of Merit earners. In fact, The Invester is the fourth all-time leading sire of performance Register of Merit earners. His foals have earned more than $190,000 in AQHA's Incentive Fund, more than $18,000 in NCHA competition and more than $300,000 in NSBA events. The Invester was inducted into the NSBA hall of fame in 1994. In 2002, at age 33, The Invester died due to complications from his age.
However, the "Chairman of the Board's" contributions to the industry as a sire continue to endow today's horses.
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