In 1989 Joan and Robbie Schroeder left Bob Perry Quarter Horses, home of Zippo Pine Bar, to establish their own identity in Gainesville, Texas, the heart of horse country. For the next 20-plus years they committed themselves to their vision of producing and training some of the very best horses for competition in Western Pleasure, Western Riding, Cow Horse, Reining, Tie-down and Team Roping.

Joan Schroeder says the Schroeder Ranch gained success and credibility over the years because of the family’s passion, hard work and a bay colt born on the ranch in 1992 that they named Blazing Hot.

Born in Port Huron, Michigan, Schroeder discovered her love for horses at a young age. She grew up a rural area, and even though her family was not in the horse business, she started showing at open shows at the young age of 4.  Each day after school, Schroeder and her mother would venture out on trail rides. From open shows, she started showing competitively.

Schroeder remembers showing against Blazing Hot’s grand-dam, Miss San Sawyer, an American Quarter Horse Association Superior Halter and Western Pleasure mare, when she was just a little girl.

Her daughter, Tahnee Zippo was bred to Hotrodders Jet Set and delivered that bay colt On April 17, 1992 at the Schroeder Ranch.

“I realized what we had the minute I saw the newborn’s gender and his blaze,” she says. “We were breeding for him specifically and I knew our prayers had been answered.”

As a 2-year-old, Blazing Hot was shown by Keith Whistle and then Joan and Robbie Schroeder showed him as a 3-year-old.

He is the only horse in history to win the Junior Western Pleasure and Junior Western Riding at the AQHA World Championship Show in the same year.

In 1996 Joan Schroeder rode Blazing Hot to a World Championship title in Junior Western Pleasure in the morning and then Robbie Schroeder rode him to a World Championship title in Western Riding in the afternoon.

“That’s one of my favorite memories with Blaze,”Joan Schroeder says.

Blazing Hot was also the first western pleasure stallion to have won the Congress and/or World Show in his 2, 3 and 4-year-old year.

Joan Schroeder recognized his talent and superior bloodline and started breeding Blaze when he was just a 3-year-old. But once he claimed his World Championship titles in 1996 he was retired to became a full-time sire. Since then, Blazing Hot foals have earned over 25,000 combined AQHA points and over $3 million in earnings. He has sired world champions including Sure Am Hot, Blazing Hot Cookies, A Slow Burn, Blazinmytroubles away and many more decorated show horses. He is the 2013 Equi-Stat Number Two All-Time Leading Western Pleasure Sire and 2012 AQHA Top Ten Leading Sire in 13 divisions.

Altogether Joan Schroeder says she and Blazing Hot will be together “until death do us part.” there are some changes in store.

On Nov. 9, she will hold a dispersal sale at the ranch where over 60 horses, mostly weanlings, yearlings and 2-year-old offspring of Blazing Hot will be offered to the public, in addition to mares in foal to Blaze. The sale will also feature a handful of client horses and ranch equipment. The sale will begin at 10 a.m., with the ranch equipment and horses will follow at noon.

“It’s not a complete dispersal,” Joan Schroeder says. “But the most complete I have ever had.”

The Schroeder Ranch will host a sale preview on Nov. 8 and entertain with a party on the patio for guests, including food and a mariachi band. Joan Schroeder guarantees that it will be a “feel good kind of time.”

Joan Schroeder has also made the difficult decision to put her ranch on the market and downsize to meet her changing life.

The ranch not only facilitates hundreds of horses but offers at least five areas of property that accommodates housing needs.

“It’s going to take the right offer,” she says in regards to actually selling it.

Until the time it actually does sell Schroeder and her son, Ryan, will live on the ranch. She says she will have between 15 and 25 horses and continue to breed. Ryan will continue to operate his business, specializing in the training of roping horses.

Schroeder says she enjoys watching Ryan thrive in the roping arena.

“As a youth, he was the youngest person to ever to win the AQHYA World Show on horseback,” she says. “In 2010, he did so, winning the Calf Roping in a tie-breaking run-off.”

Schroeder says that she and her ex-husband have instilled their talent,  knowledge of the business and passion for horses in Ryan. Now, he trains out of their ranch and will continue to do so, wherever that may be.

If the ranch does sell, Schroeder says she and Ryan will stay in North Texas, doing what they love to do. And Blazing Hot will be right there with her.

“This stud has made quite an impression on the industry and the Schroeder family,” Schroeder says. “He’s a part of the family. I know when he’s not feeling well just like my own son.”

As an AQHA director, member of the AQHA Stud Book and Registration Committee, and breeding connoisseur, Joan struggles with the lack of hours in a day. By bringing the ranch’s horses population down to a more manageable number, Schroeder says she feels she will be able to take care of weanlings, stallions, breeding and serve her AQHA commitments fully.

Moving forward with the sale is something that Joan knows is best for a change of pace, however, she knows that the sale will be difficult.

“It is going to be emotional; one day at a time goes all the way up to the sale,”  she explains.

While the number of horses Schroeder owns may decrease her role in the horse industry will not change.

“This is my job,” she says. “This is my love. This is my passion and I’m not going anywhere!”