The cutting show career of Mary Ann Rapp barely stopped in June 2001, when she gave birth to her son, Ryan.

Three weeks later, she was back to work.

"I didn't really hardly miss any time," Rapp said. "(Ryan) hasn't affected our show schedule yet. I'm sure when he goes to school it will modify somewhat. He just goes everywhere with us."

Rapp had two of the top three aggregate scores after the second go-round of the Futurity Non-Pro division Thursday but was upstaged by Hope Justice.

On Foxy Santana, Justice marked 217 and had the top two-round total with 436 - a half-point ahead of Rapp and Moody Blue Boon in the 24th annual Augusta Futurity at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.

Justice also had the top score of the go-round. On Little Playlena, Justice rebounded from an opening 211 with 219 to move the next round. The top 20 horses with a combined total of 426.5 and better advanced to tonight's final, which follows the Classic Non-Pro final.

"It was surprising," Justice said. "As bad as he was the first round, I almost didn't show him (Thursday morning). We thought that we better, because he'd be good practice before I got on my good (horse)."

Rapp didn't have to worry about using her horses for practice runs. She easily made the final on CD Grumpy Doc with 215.5 in the second go-round after a previous 219. Then, Rapp and her geldingmarked 216.

"He's a very nice horse," Rapp said of Moody Blue Boon. "He's got a really nice stop. He really has a lot of intensity on a cow. He's real easygoing."

Nineteen-month-old Ryan Rapp is easygoing, too - when he gets a little shut-eye.

"We got that (RV) so Ryan could kind of stay on a schedule," Rapp said. "We have a motor home so he can go back and have naps."

While Rapp and her husband, Phil, show horses at a cutting event, baby-sitter Angela Lowcay watches Ryan in the stands. It's an arrangement that works well, Mary Ann Rapp said, especially considering Ryan is not shy.

"He loves visiting people," she said. "He does fine. As long as he gets to go back and have his regular naps, he's in good shape."

Ryan also works well with his four-legged friends.

"He loves the horses," Rapp said. "As soon as he gets (to the arena), he comes down and finds us and goes for a ride."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 868-1222, Ext. 114.