03/05/2026
We are so proud of Swift, Charlotte and Flick. What a fantastic season they have had!
Her Mum, Jack was such a solid competitor! She was super consistent and gritty. The Sonny T Bar horses bring trainability, stride and heart to the table.
Swift brings all those great characteristics together and is such a beautiful mare! Charlotte & Flick ride her so well. We can't wait to see how this team goes next season โค๏ธ
Congratulations on the Horse of the year title and all the best for next season ๐
๐ฆ๐ช๐๐๐ง โ 25/26 ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ
There are some horses whose success feels inevitable the moment you step back and look at the whole picture. Swift, the 2026 New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association Barrel Horse of the Year, is one of those mares.
Bred by Perkins Quarter Horses, Swift is now ten years old, turning eleven this November. She is by Cole, a son of Sonny T Bar out of Madonna Gay (Wholeheartedly), and out of Breeze Moore, better known as โJackโ. Jack was a successful barrel horse in her own right before retiring from competition and going on to become a proven dam, producing several well known New Zealand rodeo horses including Noddy, Demi and Zoe. Not to be overlooked, Coleโs bloodlines are rodeo royalty, with many New Zealand champions descending from the Sonny T Bar lineage.
For Swiftโs owner, Charlotte Montgomery, that pedigree carried personal meaning from the very beginning.
โI bought Swift when she was just a week old, then she came to me once she was weaned,โ Charlotte says. โI owned a half sister to Jack, and Swift was as close as I could get to those lines. Iโd always loved Sonny T and Rock, so it felt like the right fit.โ
Swiftโs early education was intentionally uncomplicated. She was lightly started as a two year old by Claire Smith, then spent three weeks with Andrew Jamison as a three year old. From there, Charlotte continued her training herself, focusing on consistency rather than advancing too quickly.
โShe was always really smart and a fast learner,โ Charlotte explains. โAs a young horse I spent a lot of time walking and trotting the barrel pattern. I didnโt have an arena, so dairy paddocks were all we had. It was about teaching her the pattern properly, then doing basic schooling away from it.โ
That foundation paid off later in Swiftโs career. โWhenever she went into an arena, she would lock onto her drums straight away and didnโt often get distracted. She already knew her job.โ
While Swiftโs results speak for themselves, her personality is just as memorable. She is a mare who knows her own mind and expects respect.
โSheโs intimidating and independent and she doesnโt suffer a fool,โ Charlotte laughs. โShe doesnโt like being loved on unless itโs on her terms. She has a pretty good resting b***h face and if you approach her in a rush, sheโll make it a challenge to catch her.โ
Give Swift a job to do, though, and she will give it everything she has. She thrives on purpose and particularly enjoys pole bending, where the faster she can go, the better. At home she loves her dinner, enjoys apples, and definitely prefers wash time to be done with warm water rather than cold.
In the arena, Swiftโs running style is efficient and powerful. She is known for her fast feet, her ability to get in and out of her turns cleanly, and her strength down the straight lines. As she has progressed, Charlotte has learned how important it is to keep her free and confident around the barrels.
โShe needs to be pushed past her drums. If she gets too tight, she can get bogged down on the back side of the turn. Keeping her free helps her stay smooth.โ
Swift particularly enjoys running in smaller dirt, gritty arenas such as Wi******er, Waimate and Lawrence. She also thrived in Hawkeโs Bay, where the atmosphere and arena setup suited her well.
This season saw Swift successfully campaigned in both Junior and Open division competition, sharing the workload between Charlotte and her daughter Felicity, known as Flick. While it was not the original plan, it quickly became one of the highlights of the season.
โAt Wi******er, Flickโs horse was sore, so it was a quick switch and she chose Swift,โ Charlotte says. โWhen Flick and Swift won the Juniors at Methven, it honestly felt like Iโd won the season title myself. Watching someone else succeed on your horse is special, but watching your own child do it is something else again.โ
Swift handled running twice extremely well and coped comfortably with having two riders. While Charlotte and Flick ride her in similar ways, their individual strengths complemented each other throughout the season.
โFlick was really good at keeping Swift free and off the drums, while I was better at keeping her straight and correct on the lines. Having both of us run her has actually been a real advantage.โ
The season was one to remember. Swift helped Charlotte make her first ever National Finals, finishing the year eighth overall in the Open National Standings. In the Junior National Standings, Flick and Swift finished second overall.
โEvery time she stepped into the arena, she gave it her all,โ Charlotte says. โShe genuinely loves to run.โ
To wrap up, we asked Charlotte a fun, hypothetical question about breeding Swift to any stud in the world if money were no obstacle, and she admits it is not easy to choose when dreaming with unlimited options.
โIf I was breeding for a cowhorse, Iโd choose Metallic Cat because he passes that incredible work ethic onto his offspring. If I was dreaming about breeding a running horse, it would have to be Tres Seis. Iโve always loved him for his speed, size and the way his offspring work hard but still have plenty of spunk.โ
For Charlotte, Swift winning Barrel Horse of the Year is the ultimate recognition.
โThis really is the biggest honour,โ she says. โSwift has had two seasons finishing just outside the top eight, without ever having a full campaign. Even though she didnโt get to compete at the National Finals herself, she earned her place the best way we could.โ
And this season, Swiftโs performance ensured her moment of recognition finally arrived. The NZRCA congratulates Swift and her owner, Charlotte Montgomery, on a successful season and the recognition of excellence that comes with winning this prestigious award.
Words by Gemma Oliver
