Sonza Paint Horses · Kowen ACT · established 1999

A small stud. Quality, not quantity.

Gill and Hayden Montgomery breed Paint Horses with the substance and structure to win at halter, and the movement and soundness to go on under saddle.

Enquire about a horse See the show team

Breeding since 1999
PHAA & APHA registered
Full genetic panel on every horse

Sonza horse wearing a state futurity champion rug

The breeding program

It started with one mare in 1999.

Sonza Paint Horses began when Gill bred Broken Mills Painted Lady to One Moore Jessie. The result was Artistic Eclipse, born in the spring of 2000. Gill chose Paints for their temperament, versatility and colour, and the stud has stayed deliberately small ever since.

Hayden researches the bloodlines and genetics behind every mating. The focus is halter, but the aim is a horse that can do more than stand still: substance and structure for the ring, movement and soundness for later, under saddle.

Broodmare band carrying Design By Money, Impressive, Three Bars, Sonny Dee Bar and Northern Dancer (TB)
HYPP, HERDA, PSSM1, MH and GBED tested
Horses regularly available; enquiries always welcome

Foal beside the mare in the paddock at Sonza

Mare and foal together in the paddock at Sonza

Born and raised on 50 acres at Kowen. Every Sonza foal grows up with room to move.

The show team

Rise To Stardom.

2015 bay tobiano filly, by Tribune (USA) out of DMB Society Cowgirl. Sierra is the first Tribune foal to be campaigned in Australia, and she has been a multiple national, state and futurity champion at halter.

Supreme Paint Horse Halter Exhibit, RVPHC Victorian State Show
State Champion Yearling Halter Futurity and Yearling Filly
Grand Champion Filly/Mare, RVPHC Colour Spectacular
Reserve National Champion Weanling Halter Futurity, PHAA National Show

Ee Aa nT. HYPP, HERDA, PSSM1, MH and GBED clear. PHAA and APHA registered. Conditioned and shown by Michelle Garratt and the team at Garraka Park.

Frozen semen available

Tribune (USA)

2007, 16hh black tobiano stallion. PHAA #13250, APHA #899973. Sonza looked all over the United States for a stallion worth importing semen from, and Tribune is the one that stopped them.

APHA World Champion Weanling Stallion
APHA World Champion Amateur Yearling Stallion
APHA World Champion Tobiano 2-Year-Old Stallion
PtHA World Champion Yearling and 2-Year-Old Stallion
52 Grand and Reserve Grand Championships at halter
APHA Reserve World Champion sire, PHAA Reserve National Champion sire

94 APHA open and amateur halter points, $11,547 in winnings. HYPP n/n, HERDA N/N, GBED n/n, MH N/N, OLWS n/n.

Our horses

Mares, foals and the ones out competing.

DMB Society Cowgirl with her handler — **DMB Society Cowgirl** 2007 chestnut Paint Bred mare. PHAA National Show Grand Champion Paint Bred Filly/Mare

Paint horse shown at halter — **At halter** Where the program is aimed

Head study of a Sonza Paint Horse — **Head study** The look the stud breeds for

Head study of a young Sonza Paint Horse — **The next generation** Young stock coming through

Why this stud is different

Two veterinarians live on the property.

Every foal born here is delivered, checked and raised with Dr John and Dr Hayden Montgomery on site. Reproduction work, progesterone testing, pregnancy ultrasound and foaling care all happen at home, not on someone else’s schedule. That is not something most studs can say.

See the veterinary clinic →

One property, three Sonzas