As the proud owner of AQHA stallion Hot N Blazing, breeding is the cornerstone of Courtney Battison’s horse program. From her 180-acre ranch in Purcell, Oklahoma Battison has developed one of the top Hunter Under Saddle breeding operations in the country. Each year she breeds about 10 of her own mares to the AQHA World Champion stallion and ships semen to 75 customer’s mares throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Hot N Blazing is a 1997 stallion by Blazing Hot out of Zippos Baby Jane. In addition to winning the Junior Hunter Under Saddle at the AQHA World Show he earned an AQHA Reserve World Championship in Western Riding. He is a three-time Congress Champion, eight-time AQHA World Champion producer and a 62-time Congress or Reserve Congress Champion producer. Some of his most successful get include Cowboys R Hot, Look N Hot, Spurz N Diamonds and Jessee James. Hot N Blazing is currently the Equi-Stat Leading Sire for Hunter Under Saddle money earners.

“I breed and raise my own show horses, they are all sired by Hot N Blazing,” Battison says. “It is so much fun to raise and show them. I start showing my horses in futurities the first year or two then I get them ready for the AQHA world show.”

While Hot N Blazing and his foals now take center stage for Battison, it wasn’t always that way. She got her start in horses showing with her local 4-H chapter in Oklahoma.

“When I was pre-school age, my mother would stop by an area near our home to watch some horses being fed and all I could think of was riding horses,” Battison recalls. “My dad took me to a friend’s ranch and I rode a horse for the first time on a lead line. I was then hooked and pestered my dad to buy me a horse until he finally gave in when I was eight years old. My first horse came with the saddle and bridle. When my dad bought my second horse he couldn’t figure out why it didn’t come with a saddle or bridle!”

In her early teens Battison began showing AQHA with a horse named Par Don Skip, under the guidance of Alice Holmes. After a few novice shows, her family purchased How D Amos and Alice hauled the pair all over the country for the Justin Rookie of the Year title. In her late teens, after some real success showing How D Amos, Alice suggested that they go on to the next level with Patty and Butch Campbell. Under their guidance Battison continued to show How D Amos in hunt seat events and a new horse, Sunnys Black Gold, in western events. How D Amos and Battison were very successful winning her first AQHYA Reserve World Championship and Congress Championship in Youth Hunt Seat Equitation. How D Amos is now buried on Battison’s ranch.

This year Battison will continue to show several of her horses, all by Hot N Blazing, in Hunter Under Saddle at major events across the country under the guidance of Angie and Charles Cannizzaro of CAC Show Horses. She will team with Spurz N Diamonds, a 2010 mare, out of Sonnys Cool Jazz, for Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation; Jessee James, a 2012 gelding out of Jessie Quick in 3-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle classes; and Brown Eye Blaze, a 2011 mare out of Cee Regal Surprise in 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle. In addition to the hunt seat horses Battison has begun to get involved in Reining horses and will show her 2009 buckskin gelding, Wimpsy Wrangler AC, this year in Amateur and Non-Pro at NRHA events.

“Right now I do a little bit of Reining on the side for fun, but I would like to get more involved in NRHA,” Battison says. “I also run a small cow calf operation, plus 10 broodmares, foals and yearlings. I like to trail ride on my ranch and ride out to check on the pasture horses, especially the mares and their babies every day. I also have to feed my cattle every day. I have a lot to do.”

In addition to her breeding operation Battison works parttime for her family’s car dealerships in Oklahoma City, Battison Honda and Jim Norton Toyota OKC. There she manages social media, online display ads and is their spokesperson for online video and television. Battison developed a passion for Marketing while she studied at Oklahoma State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 2005. When she’s not busy on the ranch Battison enjoys keeping in shape.

“I do a lot of hot yoga, paddleboard and pilates. I belong to a couple of health clubs, it is also a social event for me,” Battison says. “I also enjoying going to the lake. My parents, Linda and Larry Battison, have a lake house at Lake Texoma. We spend a lot of time there boating, skiing, paddleboarding and fishing.”