OklahomaHorses Magazine January 2023

January / February • OklahomaHorses 27 World War II, and the U.S. Army assigned him to the horse cavalry at Fort Riley, Kan- sas, for his basic training. He served abroad and was twice wounded, receiving Bronze and Silver Stars, a Purple Heart, and the French Cross of Lorraine. Robertson’s acting career began in California when talent scouts spotted his rugged good looks. Robertson first snagged a bit movie part in 1948, and he gained real attention in 1949, playing Jesse James alongside Randolph Scott in the film Fight- ing Man of the Plains. About 70 percent of Robertson’s acting roles were in westerns. And producers often gave him counterpart roles to leading ladies such as Betty Grable, Mitzi Gaynor, and Gina Lollobrigida. Robertson parlayed into television in the mid-1950s when he developed, owned, and starred in 250 episodes of the NBC television series Tales of Wells Fargo, filmed in Arizona. Robertson played Jim Hardie, a detective on horseback who rounded up outlaws and saved the day for the stagecoach line in the 1870s and 1880s. The 30-minute black-and-white episodes branded television with Robertson’s perso- na. Viewers loved his Oklahoma drawl and horse-savvy abilities. His calm voice narrat- ed each episode with traditional, whole- some messages, and he ended each story with a narrative summation that tightened the latigo and cinch on truth and justice. A real-life Wells Fargo detective influ- enced the fictional Hardie character. And Hardie’s home base became the fictional California town of Gloribee at Haymaker Farm, named after Robertson’s real-life Haymaker Farms of Yukon. Leaving the Wells Fargo series in the early 1960s, Robertson kept the West alive, starring in numerous television series and hosting the series Death Valley Days. He also played an oil wildcatter in early Dynas- ty episodes. The next year, he nabbed re- curring roles in another steamy, glamorous nighttime soap, Dallas. In 1989, Robertson introduced the first episode of the Okla- homa Educational Television Authority (OETA) Oklahoma Passage film series. Robertson’s good friend was his Cana- dian County neighbor Bob Funk, owner of Express Ranches and Express Ranches Clydesdales. Funk says, “He was on about his 500th show, and he said, ‘I’ll do it if I can have my 14 horses on the set.’ And they let him bring them. But when he got done, he said, ‘I don’t like all this Holly- wood facade.’ ” Besides the facade, Robertson was fed up with inappropriate scripts. Retiring from acting in 1993, he became an Oklahoma rancher, pursuing his passions for breeding and training horses. Top Horses of All Ages Robertson had worked as an actor to save money so he could own his horse ranch. But he had catapulted toward his ranch- ing dream in 1947 when he purchased his 436.8 acres. That same year, he bolted into racing quarter horses. His brother, Chet Robertson, joined him in the horse business in 1952, which led to their establishing Haymaker Sales Company. The brothers bred world champions, stakes winners, record setters, and outstanding breeding stock. The Robertson brothers’ original brood- mare band of five — all world champi- ons or world record holders — were Hy Dale, Granny, La Machine, Bankette, and Nuggett Hug. Other horses added to the Haymaker bloodstock included legendary stallions Wingo Boy, Three Tiers, Easy Tri- ple, Spread the Rumor, Chick’s Etta Deck, Bart B S, the Haymaker, Rebel Cause, Bart’s Maid, Antler’s Trade, Joan Buck, and Doll Up. In 1961, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) awarded cochampion quarter running three-year-old colt to Hay- maker Farms’ Rebel Cause. And in 1962, AQHA tagged Rebel Cause as champion quarter running aged stallion. Haymaker Sales gained a reputation as the top U.S. sales company for quarter horses of all ages, with buyers coming from around the world. Haymaker grew to sever- al sales annually and added a thoroughbred yearling sale in Raton, New Mexico. In 2021, Haymaker Sales Company was in- ducted into the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. Robertson’s horse stables remain in his impressive and massive office complex, which still graces Canadian County. His desk sat against a wall. His favorite horse, stabled on the other side of the wall, was known to stick its head through an opening to be close to Robertson while he worked at his desk. The stables include a birthing room for mares and a bedroom for the visiting veterinarian. Of course, Robertson loved riding, and he planned to build a racetrack. He even chose his racing colors of orange and yel- lowish gold. Robertson and his wife lived in their Haymaker ranch-style home. The decor and architectural amenities gave voice to Robertson’s love of the West, Oklahoma, horses, his favorite television series (Raw- hide and Gunsmoke), and his favorite actor (John Wayne). Dale Robertson (standing), shown on the set next to aWells Fargo stagecoach, became famous as Jim Hardie in the television series Tales of Wells Fargo. Photo from a private collection.