Walt Robertson has joined the Water Hay Oats Alliance, it was announced Jan. 6.
"I have spent over 40 years selling Thoroughbred horses at public auction," Robertson said. "In my experience, the single most important driver of successful horse sales is buyer confidence. If buyers do not have confidence in the integrity of the industry, they will be less willing or even unwilling to invest in it. If the industry intends to expand and thrive in the future, integrity on every level is essential.
"Uniform testing and enforcement throughout all racing jurisdictions in this country provide the industry the opportunity to improve the perception of horse racing and its integrity. This in turn will give both domestic and foreign buyers added confidence when making decisions to purchase horses here in the United States. For these reasons, and many others, I am proud to support WHOA."
Robertson's name has been synonymous with Thoroughbred racing and sales for decades. The resident of Lexington, Ky., hailed from a saddlebred background but spent his entire adult life as an auctioneer of Thoroughbreds and other breeds of horses.
He spent 35 years with Fasig-Tipton, serving as its president from 1992 through 2008. He later served as the vice president of sales at Keeneland from 2011-15.
In addition to horse auctions, Robertson has auctioned real and personal property with Swinebroad-Denton, Inc. for over 40 years.
Through the years, he has been actively involved with countless horse organizations and he has worked tirelessly across the country as a volunteer auctioneer for numerous charity auctions.
He is a member of The Jockey Club, a former chairman of the Kentucky Horse Park Commission, and past president and director of the Thoroughbred Club of America. He is also a past director of the KTA/KTOBA and served on both the New Owners Committee and the Sales Integrity Task Force for TOBA. Robertson is a longstanding member of both the National Auctioneers Association and the Kentucky Auctioneers Association.
