In 1972 Americans Lyman and Alaire Tenney, son Todd and daughter-in-law Peta-Anne decided that a breed of horse such as had been developed by the American Paint Horse Association ha a definite future in the Australian horse industry.

In America the Paint Horse had been developed as a 'Quarter Horse with Colour'. Correspondence with the APHA was started and in April 1973 the Paint Horse Association of Australia (PHAA) was formed.

At the first meeting held at Hornsby, in Sydney NSW, it was voted by those present, Lyman & Alaire Tenney, Todd & Peta-Anne Tenney, Lorraine Grant, David Farquhar, Alan Whip and Christine Ruckwood to follow the American Paint Horse Association Constitution and Rules and Regulations as closely as possible - with minor changes to suit the Australian conditions and the later formation of the Association.

The Success of the PHAA was instantaneous, and many people were applying to register horses even before registration applications were printed.

With Peta-Anne Tenney as Secretary/Treasurer, the PHAA began registering horses in June 1974 and by June 1975 well over two hundred horses were listed, with almost as many members.

In 2008, Peta Anne Tenney was the first person inducted into the PHAA Hall of Fame. A worthy recipient of this prestigious award. Their stallion, Joe Leo, was the first horse admitted into the horse section of the PHAA Hall of Fame. Again another worthy recipient.