Lee Courtney Interview | Bridle & Bit Magazine

Lee Courtney — A Life of Harmony with Horses | Bridle & Bit February 2025

Lee Courtney at her North Scottsdale equestrian estate · Bridle & Bit Magazine · February 2025

Nestled in the heart of North Scottsdale's equestrian corridor, Lee Courtney has created something rare — a property where architecture, horsemanship, and personal passion exist in complete harmony. Tracy Wager visited Lee's stunning estate for this February 2025 cover feature to learn about the vision behind the design, the lifestyle barn lounge that has become a gathering place, and the beloved mares and new filly Angeleesi who hold a special place in Lee's heart.

Q When you began designing this property, what was the vision you had in mind — and how did horses shape every decision along the way?

Horses were the starting point for everything. Most people design a home and then figure out where the horses go — for me, it was the opposite. I wanted the horses to be central to daily life, not something that happened out back behind a gate you only visit once a day. That philosophy drove every single decision, from the orientation of the property to the sightlines from the main living areas.

The goal was to wake up in the morning and see your horses. To have coffee in the barn lounge and feel completely at home. To create a space where the line between the human environment and the horse environment was intentionally blurred in the best possible way. When you love horses the way I do, you want them to be part of everything, not separate from it.

Q The barn lounge has become such a signature feature of the property. Can you describe how that space came to be and what it means to you?

The barn lounge was born from a simple idea — I wanted a beautiful, comfortable space that was completely integrated with the horses. Not a tack room that happened to have a chair in it, but a real room, designed with intention, that happens to be in the barn. The kind of place where you can have a glass of wine with friends while watching the horses in their stalls, or sit quietly on a Sunday morning with your coffee and just be present with them.

What has surprised me most is how it draws people. Guests who might not have a strong background with horses will wander in there and suddenly find themselves completely relaxed and engaged. There is something about being close to horses in a beautiful, welcoming environment that opens people up. It has become one of my favorite gathering spaces on the property, and I think that speaks to the power of horses to bring people together in unexpected ways.

Q Tell us about your mares — the relationships you've built with them and what each one means to you.

My mares are my partners in everything. Each one has her own personality, her own way of communicating, and her own relationship with me that has developed over years of trust and time together. I often say you can learn more about yourself from a mare than from any other relationship in your life, because they hold you accountable. A mare does not give her trust easily, and when she does, you know you have earned something real.

There is a particular kind of connection that forms between a woman and her mares that I think only horse women truly understand. It is quiet and deep. It is built in the early mornings and the evening feedings and the long grooming sessions that have nothing to do with competition and everything to do with simply being together. I treasure every one of those relationships more than I can say.

Q And then there is Angeleesi. Tell us about this special new filly.

Angeleesi arrived and immediately stole everyone's heart — mine first and fastest. She has this quality about her that I can only describe as radiant. From the very first day, she had a confidence and a curiosity that you rarely see in a foal so young. She seems to understand that she is loved, and she responds to that in kind.

Watching a foal discover the world is one of the greatest gifts this life with horses provides. Every single day there is something new — a new sound she hears for the first time, a new corner of the pasture she ventures into, a new interaction with one of the mares that teaches her something about being a horse. I spend a great deal of time just watching her, and I don't think I will ever tire of it. She represents everything I love about this life — beauty, spirit, the promise of what is to come.

Q North Scottsdale has such a rich equestrian culture. What does it mean to you to be part of that community?

It means the world to me. This community is why I chose North Scottsdale, and the community is what keeps me here. There is a shared understanding among equestrian people that runs very deep — an appreciation for the land, for the animals, for the slower pace that life with horses naturally imposes on you. In a world that moves very fast, horse people tend to understand that some of the most important things cannot be rushed.

The connections I have made through horses in this community are some of the most meaningful relationships of my life. Bridle and Bit has always been a wonderful part of that — a publication that celebrates this lifestyle with genuine love and knowledge. Being a part of this issue, being welcomed into those pages, is something I am deeply honored by. Arizona's equestrian community is extraordinary, and I feel lucky every single day to call it home.