The cutters all lined up in the dirt Thursday vying for the No. 1 lottery ball and good position in the Western Horseman Cup finals.

The draw was held for 30 cutters, 15 in the Non-Pro and 15 in the Open. Brad Wilson, of Ardmore, Okla., grabbed the No. 1 ball in the Non-Pro draw and chose to run third in the second bunch of horses.

When the Western Horseman Cup Non-Pro finals begin at 7 tonight at James Brown Arena, Wilson will be in the ideal position. Or will he?

Typically, cutters like to run third in a bunch of horses. That gives them an opportunity to read the cattle and still leaves plenty of good cows to cut. But running in that position has led to little success since the Western Horseman Cup finals began in 2004.

Cole Rothwell won out of the last hole in the Non-Pro event last year. James Vangilder won the Non-Pro two years earlier running next to last.

In the inaugural Non-Pro competition, Kyle Manion won running 14th in the 15-horse event.

In the Western Horseman Cup Open finals, which run tonight after the Non-Pro event, the trend continues.

Last year, Paul Hansma rode 10th in last year's 14-horse final, when there was just one bunch of horses. Two years earlier, Tag Rice ran sixth in the first bunch and won. Sean Flynn rode fifth in the first bunch in his 2005 Open victory.

"You try to pick your best draw where you can win the most money," Wilson said. "Maybe we can break that trend this year."

Clint Allen will look to keep the streak intact. The 2004 Augusta Futurity Open champion drew for three cutters and grabbed the Nos. 12, 13 and 14 balls in the 15-horse draw.

Allen, who chose to ride Hydrive Cat sixth in the first bunch, said position doesn't matter.

"It just depends if the cows are good or not," he said. "You can win it from anywhere.

"I always seem to do good from being deep in the bunch. As long as I can do my job, I'll be happy."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.

From the Friday, January 25, 2008 edition of the Augusta Chronicle