BY CHRIS GOULD / CWHBA
PHOTOS: MARA COOTE-FREEMAN, MARGIE FORBES, ZARYA GARDNER, CHRIS GOULD, MELANIE MORRISH

It is an exciting time of year as new foals hit the ground. It is especially so for new breeders. This article is the first of a series profiling some next generation Canadian Warmblood breeders.

The founding members of the CWHBA have been at this for many years, so it is wonderful to see a new generation of younger breeders taking up the torch.

Brittany Payjack

First up is 35-year-old Brittany Payjack of Manitoba. Growing up in a horse oriented farm east of Winnipeg, Payjack was introduced to breeding at a young age. Her journey from Morgan horses to Warmbloods is an interesting one. Now as a full time professional operating BP Sport Horses, she successfully presented her home-bred Canadian Warmblood stallion in 2025. Here is her story.
“When I was younger, my mom and I kept a Morgan stallion and three Morgan mares at our farm for one of her friends. From a very young age, I bonded deeply with that stallion. I used to ride him bareback through the bush and jump him, and that experience sparked my love for stallions. Over the years, he pasture-bred several mares, and I loved being part of the growth and development of those foals.
“When I first established myself as a young professional, I was sent a German Warmblood stallion for training and sale. I showed him for a couple of years and had two foals from him before eventually selling him. I competed his first offspring before selling him as an equitation horse, and his second foal was sold as a hunter prospect to Florida. His second foal I kept as a stallion before selling him and he produced a lovely filly that I sold and still enjoy seeing her updates.
“Raising foals is something I have genuinely loved since I was a child. A few years ago, I purchased a Shire stallion and stood him at stud at my farm for a couple of seasons before selling him to a Shire breeder in the United States.
“Today, I stand my home-bred stallion, Orzel de Muze (Pommeral de Muze - Atchafalaya x Alcatraz), at my farm. He recently attended his first major competition, where he was named Four-Year-Old Young Horse Champion. I am currently expecting a foal by him any day now, and this spring he has successfully covered three mares so far out of eight booked. Once breeding season concludes, he will continue developing his career as a jumper.
“To date, I have registered three home-bred foals with the Canadian Warmblood Association and have had two mares and my stallion inspected. My breeding goals are deeply tied to the legacy of my foundation mare, Atchafalaya. She was my first Grand Prix horse and meant the world to me. Sadly, she passed away last year due to foaling complications...

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