b.1988

Chichester, UK

trainer

Carl Hester / Charlotte Dujardin

Sonnar grew up near Chichester in West Sussex, first learning to ride at local riding schools before his non-horsey parents bought his first pony, a 14hh Heinz 57 type who cost £250 and was brought home by being led down the main road. Sonnar had frequent lessons on ‘Polo’ with a local riding instructor.

He went on to ride showing ponies for various owners and producers, before leaving home at 16 to work as a groom at a showing yard in Ascot where he came across the discipline of Dressage.

Sonnar then spent time in East Sussex, grooming at international dressage shows, before being offered the opportunity to become a working pupil with Jennie Loriston-Clarke at Catherston Stud. Here, he was based for two years and with Jennie’s coaching, went from riding Prelims to PSG.

Whilst at Catherston, Sonnar’s uncle bought him his first horse Tornado, a 7yo KWPN gelding. Together, they went on to win the 2008 BYRDS A Squad rider of the year, their first regionals at Elementary Restricted level and their first winter national title, as well as being in the top three in the Medium and Advanced Medium Restricted Championships at the summer nationals.  

In January 2009, Sonnar had won his first Young Rider class with Catherston Liberator, and had also been well placed with his own Tornado. 

The next day, Sonnar was involved in a head-on collison as a front passenger in a car, and on his departure from ICU, doctors broke the news that as a result of extensive injuries, he was likely to be wheelchair bound and unlikely to ever ride again. His injuries included a broken femur in his left leg and a shattered right leg, with sustained injuries to his femur, kneecap and fibula. 

It took him four years, 14 operations, a skin graft, a bone graft, an external fixator frame to lengthen his right femur by 3cms, blood transfusions and a full team of experts and the tireless support of family and friends to recover.

Throughout this time, Sonnar maintained close interest in his horse Tornado and bought a couple of young horses, ridden by friends. Sonnar then moved to Germany to spend time getting back to riding fitness, and later returned to Catherston before moving to Gloucestershire in 2016 where he is now based.

Sonnar trains with Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin and has been UK lottery funded as a member of the World Class Podium Potential Squad since 2018.