In the early 1950s, Harold Raymond Fisken - “Chappy” to most - was an amateur racehorse owner with a serious problem. He couldn’t buy the kind of feed locally that would help his horses win.

The options were either too expensive or lacked the nutritional quality required for race-day performance. For a man of Chappy’s ambitions, that just wasn’t good enough.

After all, Chappy’s father, Bob “Fuff” Fisken, was a celebrated trotting champion. In 1926, his American-bred trotter Peterwah made history by winning the Dominion Handicap at Addington and setting a new record — becoming the first trotter to complete the two-mile race in under four and a half minutes.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Chappy did what others couldn’t. Chappy called in favours from old contacts, scoured through his options for the best grain growers, and began sourcing the highest quality oats and oaten chaff available in Southland, which is famous for the quality of its oats.

From that, he started blending his own feed right on his family’s kitchen table. This wasn’t just playing around - it was proper performance fuel.

The difference showed. His horses looked better, ran better, and before long, other trainers at the track started noticing.

“What are you feeding them?”

“Can you make some for me too?”

And so it began.

An early photo of the Fisken property in Pukekohe. The business has grown enormously but it’s still located here on Tuakau Road.

Word Spread Quick

And Chappy could hardly keep up. His family home turned into storage for sacks and sacks of feed. They even filled the kids’ bedrooms.

When there was no space left at the house, Chappy built a shed out back. And in 1957, HR Fisken & Sons (as we know it today) began.

Still Family-Owned. Still Performance-Focused. Still Doing It Right.

Because he had a direct relationship with growers and trainers, the word of mouth meant he never needed to spend on marketing, and because his deep-held belief was to always put the customer first, Chappy had some of the fairest prices you could find.

Something the family continues through today. So that everyone can access high-quality, performance-grade feed for their animals, no matter their budget.

Over six decades later, HR Fisken & Sons Ltd remains a family-owned business based in Pukekohe. We’ve expanded beyond racehorses to serve dairy cows, calves, pigs, and chooks - with feed developed in collaboration with expert nutritionists to ensure both quality and value.

But our philosophy hasn’t changed.

Chappy

Premium quality animal feed at unbeatable prices - since 1957.

From track legends to backyard broodmares, we’re proud to fuel generations of Kiwi animals - and the people who care for them.

Geoffrey, “Chappie,” Robert, Una & Roma Fisken

Chappy

Captain Bolt  |  Alexandra Park  |  4 Wins 1935

Knighthood  |  Cambridge  |  66 Wins 1958

Earl Delta | Alexandra Park 1962 
Trained by King Beloe 
Owned by Ray & Gwen Fausett

Lalla Scott | Manawatu  |  3 Wins, 23 Places
1961