Boons Metallic’s story began in the United States, where he was bred from a carefully considered pairing and discovered through a unique opportunity. Brian Elliott and his family, with help from Australian horseman Greg Jolly who was based in America, were originally looking to purchase a Metallic Cat–sired colt. Greg found an appealing package deal that included the mare Smart Lil Boonie, in foal to Kit Kat Sugar, and her colt foal at foot by Metallic Cat.
The Elliotts saw immediate value in the opportunity. It not only provided the Metallic Cat colt they were seeking but also introduced a high-quality mare with fresh genetics for their breeding program. The foal at foot would become known as Boons Metallic.
While Smart Lil Boonie was imported to Australia still in foal, Boons Metallic remained in training in the U.S. under Clint Allen at Thunderstruck Ranch, owned by David and Stacey McDavid. During his two-year-old year, he was started and developed by Mitchell Butler, an Australian trainer working with Clint. Clint later took over to prepare him for the 2018 Futurity.
That same year, Corey Holden travelled to America to catch-ride Boons Metallic for Clint Allen in the Open Futurity, making it through to the second round before a bit of bad luck ended their run. Lacey Elliott also flew over to compete in the Non-Pro division, where she made it to the semi-finals. Boons Metallic continued his show career with Clint Allen, becoming a finalist at major events including the 2019 Breeders Invitational, where he scored 216.5 in the first go, and the 2019 Cattlemens Open Derby.
Following his U.S. achievements, the Elliott family imported Boons Metallic to Australia to continue his career with Corey Holden and Lacey Elliott. Unfortunately, his Australian Derby campaign coincided with the onset of COVID-19, which brought the show calendar to a halt. Despite this setback, Boons Metallic remained in work with Lacey, who continued to train and show him through his Classic years alongside Corey Holden in the Open divisions.
From the outset, Lacey described Boons Metallic as her “ideal horse”, a perfect combination of size, temperament, trainability, heart, and cow sense. She says, “He’s just so easy to have around, he’s got everything I want in a horse.”
As a sire, Boons Metallic has already made a strong impression. His progeny are consistently well-conformed, trainable, and athletic, qualities Lacey values highly in her breeding program. His first foal crop, born in 2020, quickly proved the strength of his genetics. Notable offspring include Boons Smart Play (out of This Playgirls Smart), bred by Dean Bradley and now owned by Jeff Wade, trained by Wade Davidson and currently showing successfully with Steve Smith.
Another standout from that first crop, Tyrell Park Metallic Boon, bred and shown by Lacey, finaled at St George and Scone Non-Pro Futurities before topping the 2023 Nutrien Sale as the highest-selling stallion at $80,000. Tyrell Park Reyn Metallic, also from that crop, was shown by Lacey in her Futurity year and later sold to Jill Busfield, who has gone on to achieve multiple Non-Pro Derby finals with her.
In 2023, Boons Metallic competed at Australia’s Greatest Horsewoman, where he won the cutting phase and placed third in the reined cow horse section. Later, he teamed up with Mark Buttsworth to contest Australia’s Ultimate Cow Horse, finishing equal third in his first major cow horse event.
Now back home in 2025, Boons Metallic will begin the next chapter of his career in Campdrafting with Ben McEwin from 2026. Lacey is confident the transition will suit him well, noting that his athleticism, size, and incredible cow sense make him perfectly suited to the sport. She believes this new direction will showcase his versatility and open him to a wider audience of mare owners within the Campdrafting community.
With proven performance, excellent temperament, and a growing list of talented progeny, Boons Metallic continues to demonstrate the quality and consistency that make him an outstanding sire for Australian performance breeding.
