Stacy Wright Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship Update – December 2021

The MHSA board is proud to announce the renaming of the MHSA college scholarship to be the Stacy Wright Memorial Scholarship. Each year, this scholarship provides one recipient with funds to be used at the college or university of their choice. To make donations to this cause in honor of Stacy, contributions can be made payable to MHSA (please add a note that it is for scholarship), and sent to:
Missouri Horse Shows Association
c/o Ben Hibbs
313 Foxfire Dr
Columbia, MO 65201

The MHSA Scholarship Program has recently changed to make it available to any young member, not just an equitation rider. This new scholarship will be judged on the applicant’s involvement in MHSA, their academic achievements, and other aspects of their life. MHSA is excited to open the scholarship up to the broader membership and to recognize a young rider’s accomplishments in other aspects of their life.

Scholarship funds may be requested by notifying the Scholarship Administrator: The funds are sent directly to the college or university.

A link to the scholarship application form is available on the Home Page, and the complete rules can be found in the MHSA Rule Book.

History of the Scholarship Program

The MHSA Scholarship Program was established in 1983 and, since that time, more than $40,000 has been awarded in scholarships to riders attending colleges and universities throughout the United States. Scholarships were awarded to MHSA junior riders who were nominated in equitation and who competed in the Junior Saddle Seat, Hunt Seat, and Stock Seat Medallion Classes.

The first scholarship, in the amount of $500 was awarded in 1983 to Katana Kennedy O’Brien as the winner of the MHSA Junior Hunt Seat Medallion Finals Class. In 1988, the first Junior Saddle Seat Medallion Scholarship was awarded to Michelle Twyman, and, in 1994, a Junior Stock Seat Medallion Scholarship was added and awarded to Jennifer Gassen.

MHSA Scholarships were initially funded by proceeds from the respective discipline’s “Kick-Off Shows”. In more recent years, donations from other organizations and individuals have helped fund this Scholarship Program. The MHSA Membership Application Form now conveniently allows members to make a contribution to the General Scholarship Fund.

MHSA scholarship funds have helped riders attend a wide range of colleges and universities, including the following:

Barnard College
Butler University
Columbia College
Creighton University
Iowa State University
Kansas State University
Miami University – Ohio
Middlebury College – Vermont
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Murray State
North Dakota State University
Northern Arizona University
Savannah College of Art and Design
Stephens College
Texas Christian University
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Missouri – Columbia
University of Missouri – Kansas City
University of Nebraska
University of San Diego
University of Virginia
University of Wyoming
Washington University
Webster University
Westminster College
William Woods University

Scholarship funds may be requested by notifying the Scholarship Administrator:

Ben Hibbs
E-mail [email protected]

The funds are sent directly to the college or university.