Minnesota Saddlebred State Championship Horse Show
MSHA’s state championship program is for amateur riders and drivers who show at qualifying horse shows within Minnesota.
October 10-12, 2025
Minnesota Equestrian Center in Winona, MN
Minnesota Saddlebred State Championship classes
Minnesota Academy Equestrian Finals classes
Show Sponsorships
Hospitality and class sponsorships are always welcomed for Minnesota's finale competition! Class sponsorships are available for $60 for regular classes and $75 for stake classes. For more details, see your prize book, or purchase your sponsorship online: Be A Sponsor
Updated Futurity Class System
In an effort to make it easier to enter young horse futurity classes offered at the Minnesota State Championship Horse Show, MSHA has moved away from a formal nomination process. If you are interested in showing a weanling, yearling or two year-old, you now can enter these classes with the rest of your Minnesota State Championship Horse Show entries, and will not be required to pre-nominate. The entry fee is $200 for all classes with the jackpot paid out 100%. Exhibitors must be members of MSHA.
Enter the Costume Class with No Entry Fee
Join the Costume Class on Saturday afternoon following the Academy Finals. Class is open to both Academy and Show riders. Individual and group entries are allowed. Start time for the class will be announced at the show. Each entry should sign up in the show office and provide a short description of your entry for the announcer to read. There will be no entry fee for this class.
Volunteer at the Show
If you and your family will be in Winona for this season finale show, MHSA is calling on you to join in and help the MSHA board with the touches that make the horse show such a special event. Become part of our volunteer show squad! Sign up with a buddy or family member, or sign up to meet new horsey people like you! This is a great opportunity for parents to get to know each other.
Youth members who pitch in to volunteer will earn one point per hour toward MSHA's Youth Achievement Awards Program (YAAP).
After fours hours of volunteering, you earn a personalized MSHA Show Squad tshirt with your name on the back!
Tasks include:
PULL THE WINE WAGON TO SELL WINE (ADULTS ONLY)
HELP MANAGE THE COSTUME CLASS ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON
BE A GATEKEEPER
Minnesota Saddlebred State Championship Rules
1. State Championships are earned by American Saddlebred (ASB) horses in performance classes and by riders in equitation classes (Exception: Any breed of horse is eligible to compete in the Open Pleasure classes).
2. For a horse to qualify, all owners must be members of the MSHA and must have paid the appropriate horse recording fee.
3. For an equitation rider to qualify, the rider must be a member of MSHA and must have paid the appropriate equitation rider recording fee.
4. If multiple riders show the same horse and want to qualify for the State Championship program, each rider must be a MSHA member and must have paid the appropriate horse recording fee.
5. To be eligible for the State Championships, the horse or rider must show in their respective class or classes at a minimum of three qualifying shows and show in the corresponding class at the Minnesota Saddlebred State Championship Horse Show. Shows for qualifying will be counted after the appropriate fees have been received by MSHA as noted in numbers 2 to 4 above.
6. Horse or rider may qualify by showing at a minimum of three qualifying shows. Qualifying shows are as follows:
Spring Tune-Up Horse Show
F.A.S.H. Inc. Spring Horse Show
Summerfest Horse Show
Tanbark Cavalcade of Roses Horse Show
The Capitol Classic I & II Horse Shows
North Star Americana Horse Show
Octoberfest Horse Show
In the Five-Gaited, Three-Gaited, Fine Harness, and Park classes, if an amateur class is not offered at a specific qualifying show, showing in the Open class will count as a qualifying class.
7. Riders receive a State Championship hat for each class qualified.
8. Awards will be given to the Top Five in each class. The Top Five will include the five highest placing eligible horses in the class at the Minnesota Saddlebred State Championship Horse Show, with the Champion being the highest placing and the Reserve Champion the second highest.
Example: In the Show Pleasure Diving division, six horses attended at least three of the qualifying shows. All six horses show in the class at the Minnesota Saddlebred State Championship Horse Show. Four of the horses receive a ribbon in the class and a fifth horse is placed seventh. Those five horses will be awarded the Top Five awards. The highest placing horse of that group will be named the Champion, not necessarily the winner of the actual class, but the highest placing of the eligible horses. Reserve Champion is awarded in the same manner.
9. State Championships are offered in the following classes:
Five-Gaited Amateur
Three-Gaited Amateur
Park Amateur
Fine Harness Amateur
Park Pleasure Amateur
Show Pleasure 17 & under
Show Pleasure 18 & over
Show Pleasure Five-Gaited
Show Pleasure Driving
Open English Pleasure 17 & under
Open English Pleasure 18 & over
Open Western Pleasure
Saddlebred Model
Country Pleasure 17 & under
Country Pleasure 17 & under
Country Pleasure 18 & over
Country Pleasure Driving
Country Pleasure Western
Country Pleasure Five-Gaited
Country Pleasure Hunter
Pleasure Equitation 17 & under
Saddle Seat Equitation 17 & under
Saddle Seat Equitation 18 & over
Open Walk & Trot Pleasure 12 & under
Walk & Trot Equitation 12 & under
Open Hunter Pleasure
Open Pleasure Driving
Open Breed Pleasure W/T Single Bit
Open Breed Pleasure W/T/C Single Bit
State Championships will be made in the corresponding class at the Minnesota Saddlebred State Championship Horse Show. For example, Five-Gaited Amateur will be presented in the Five-Gaited Amateur class, not the Five-Gaited Stake.
10. Horses in the Open English, Western and Hunter Pleasure classes must be ridden by an amateur. Horses driven in Open Pleasure Driving must be driven by an amateur. Any breed of horse is eligible to compete in the Open Pleasure classes.
Updated March 2022
