Endowment Donations
Creating an endowed fund with the NCHA Foundation is an incredible way to make your mark on the sport of cutting by investing in the future. Endowed funds allow donors to honor individual, equine, and family legacies through a permanent tribute which will make an impact for generations to come. Endowed funds provide donors assurance that the programs and values important to them will continue to be supported and carried out in perpetuity so long as it is practical and possible to do so. Currently, endowment opportunities are available with a minimum commitment of $100,000.00. For more information on setting up an endowment contact the NCHA Foundation at 817.244.6188 ext. 144.
Whitley Ranch Scholarship Fund
The NCHA Foundation is excited to announce a ten-year, $100,000.00 commitment by Starr Whitley & Whitley Ranch, LP of Brenham, Texas. The Whitley Ranch Scholarship Fund will directly support the NCHA Foundation Scholarship Cutting Senior Division by adding $10,000.00 in awarded scholarship funds for the top three NCHA Foundation Scholarship Cutting Senior Finalists through 2034. The endowment, finalized in July 2024, will annually provide for the NCHA Foundation Scholarship Cutting Senior Champion to receive an additional $5,000.00 scholarship, Reserve Champion an additional $3,000.00 scholarship, and third place an additional $2,000.00 scholarship.
Intended to help youth members achieve their goals of higher education, Whitley Ranch Owner Starr Whitley shares, “Whitley Ranch & I value contribution to the NCHA YOUTH who will lead with meaning and purpose in their futures. Our contribution to the youth scholarship is unwaveringly inspirational, providing a solid educational path for young riders toward what they want to be, do, and have in life. Live with grace, integrity, love, and wisdom.”
To learn more about Whitley Ranch, visit www.whitleyranch.com. For more information on the NCHA Foundation and how you can help support our areas of focus, visit www.nchafoundation.org today!
| Whitley Ranch Scholarship Recipients | |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Kate Roberson - Champion Ashtyn Brown - tied 2-3 Will Bushaw - tied 2-3 |
Dr. Glenn Blodgett Equine Welfare Fund
As the NCHA Foundation Equine Welfare Chair, Dr. Glenn Blodgett helped guide the Foundation’s philanthropic efforts and partnerships with The Foundation for the Horse, American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), and more.
His passion for the horse spurred the Foundation’s goal of creating an endowment for the tenet he so fiercely championed. In mid-October of 2022, the Foundation received the base funding for such an endowment. Excited for the future, “Doc” began his search for the perfect project.
On November 20, 2022, the Blodgett family lost a loving husband, father, and grandfather. The Four Sixes Ranch lost a leader. Friends and colleagues lost a confidant and mentor. Our equine companions lost a champion, and the Western performance horse industry lost an icon.
Though Doc did not have the opportunity to share his plans for the future of the NCHA Foundation’s Equine Welfare program, he leaves behind a blueprint of service that we will continue. In honor of Dr. Blodgett's lifelong dedication to the betterment of the equine industry, the NCHA Foundation will continue to advocate for the welfare of our equine partners through the Dr. Glenn Blodgett Animal Welfare Fund.
For more information or to contribute to the Dr. Glenn Blodgett Equine Welfare Fund, contact the NCHA Foundation at 817.244.6188 ext. 144 or jbuswold@nchacutting.com.
Lonnie & Barbara
Allsup Fund
The NCHA Foundation is proud to announce the Lonnie and Barbara Allsup Fund. The endowment, finalized in March 2022, supports the NCHA Foundation’s Merit Scholarship Program and will annually provide for the program’s first place $5,000.00 scholarship. Intended to help youth members achieve their goals of higher education, Allsup Family Charitable Foundation President, Jessica Allsup shares, “We are excited to partner with the NCHA Foundation in providing youth members the opportunity to earn scholarship funds out of the arena. We look forward to seeing this grant in action and cannot wait to award the first scholarship in summer 2022!”
Lonnie Allsup served as NCHA President for two years from 1996-1997, and is survived by his wife, Barbara, who continues the family’s cutting legacy as Vice President of El Cid Land & Cattle. Applications for the NCHA Foundation Merit Scholarship are open to all NYCHA members in good standing. Currently, the application portal opens annually on April 1st, and students have until June 30th to submit their application. For more information or to start the application process, visit https://www.nchafoundation.org/scholarships. For questions or application assistance, email scholarships@nchafoundation.org.
| Lonnie & Barbara Allsup Scholarship Recipients | |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Jencee Jarvis |
| 2023 | Claire Shelton |
| 2024 | Riley Farris |
Amy Bell Memorial Awards
In 2014 Amy Bell of Weatherford, TX, daughter of Ellen and Larry Bell of Midland, TX, passed away very unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 33. Amy was known as a tenacious horsewoman, a seasoned traveler, an accomplished hunter, a dedicated philanthropist and a “best friend” to many. She touched lives across the world. Amy loved her horses, her many pets, her family, her friends, and she loved the Lord. She lived life with no handlebars, and she loved children of all ages to the ends of the earth.
During her short life she began a very private but significant work dedicated to making life better for those less fortunate. That was especially true when it came to children. Throughout her life Amy was involved in numerous charitable and humanitarian efforts. As Amy’s travels took her to some exciting new places far away from her Texas roots, her desire to show her love and compassion for children extended to projects all over the world. Amy’s family is deeply committed to honoring those final wishes by supporting Amy’s programs and projects and sharing her spirit throughout the world via The Amy Bell Charities. In 2015, the NCHA, with the support of Amy’s friends and family in the cutting horse family, established the NCHA Amy Bell Memorial Amateur Rider of the Year Award as well as the NCHA Amy Bell Memorial Horse of the Year Award. Through her life and now her memory, Amy Bell continues to “Pay it Forward”. For more information on the life of Amy Bell and how her legacy continues, visit amybellcharities.org.
| Amateur Rider of the Year | Amateur Horse of the Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | John Brengard | Mr Connerey |
| 2016 | Grace Ann Vangilder | Let Georgie Do It |
| 2017 | Miller Wade Smith | Two Time Dual |
| 2018 | Langston Patillo | High Stylin CD |
| 2019 | John Rockey | Sweet Toothe |
| 2020 | James Vangilder | Cat About Houston |
| 2021 | Makayla Cowan | Redneck Hillbille |
| 2022 | Rob Kuiper | Prince Of Cat |
| 2023 | Mike Rutherford | Cowboys N Hippies |
| 2024 | Bella Michelle Anderson | A Lil Moore Spice |
Brody Beaver Memorial Scholarship
In 2011, the National Cutting Horse Association family lost one of its young and most promising Non-Pro competitors, Joseph Broderick Beaver. Brody began his cutting career in 2006, at the age of 16. In 2008, at the NCHA Eastern Nationals Championship, he claimed the Amateur title. The following year, Brody won the Boys Cutting Champion title at the 2009 National High School Rodeo Finals. In 2011, Brody was a top contender for the NCHA Non-Pro World Championship and had earned the NCHA Bronze Award.
To honor Brody’s memory, the Joseph Broderick Beaver Trust made a gift to the NCHA Foundation to establish The Joseph Broderick Beaver Memorial Scholarship Fund. First awarded in the 2012 Youth point year, a $10,000 Brody Beaver Memorial Scholarship has been awarded annually to the Senior Youth World Champion for the continuation of his or her education at the college or university of their choice.
| Brody Beaver Memorial Scholarship Recipients | |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Rieta Dufurrena |
| 2013 | Shannon McCoy |
| 2014 | Austria Arnold |
| 2015 | Aubrey Pigg |
| 2016 | Kenli Marvin |
| 2017 | Ryan Rapp |
| 2018 | Chaser Crouch |
| 2019 | Christina Huntley |
| 2020 | Colt Moore |
| 2021 | Faith Farris |
| 2022 | Emma Grace Rapp |
| 2023 | Brinley Lippincott |
| 2024 | Riley Farris |