AUGUSTA, GA. --- The 41st annual Augusta Futurity promised to be a special one with the largest cutting horse event east of the Mississippi River taking place Jan. 19-25 in James Brown Arena.

As one of the largest cutting horse events east of the Mississippi River, the show offered a total purse of $571,665, which was more than the $449,507 purse. It included $65,000 in Stallion Stakes Incentive money.
The star of the show was Alabama cutter AUSTIN SHEPARD of Summerdale, Ala., who won the Futurity’s Classic Open event for 5/6-Year-Old horses on Friday night scoring 230 riding DUAL REYISH owned by Billy Wolf.
And then the next night Shepard successfully defended his 2019 Futurity Open title for 4-Year-Old horses by scoring 226 riding KINKY BOOTZ owned by Glenn Drake.
It marked the sixth time Shepard had won the top show Futurity Open title and the fourth time he had won the Classic Open title.
At the 2019 show, Shepard and his then 17-year-old son, CADE SHEPARD, won the Futurity Open and Non-Pro competitions on the same last night of the show.
 
This year, the father and son duo repeated their championship rides on the same night at the same show only this year it was riding 5/6-year-old horses. Cade scored 223 riding Barney Ross owned by his father.

JORDAN VAUGHN of Forsyth, Ga., also scored double major championships at the 41st annual show by winning both the Futurity Non-Pro and 4-Year-Old Unlimited Amateur events. He won the 5/6-Year-Old Unlimited Amateur title at the 2019 show.

GAVIN CALLAHAN of McConnells, S.C., was another repeat winner in capturing the 2020 Area 18 title for younger riders.
But the biggest surprise of the 2020 show undoubtedly was 10-year-old JOE OVERSTREET of Kenansville, Fla., who became the youngest rider in the Augusta Futurity’s history to win a major event.
Overstreet was only planning to enter the Area 18 competition during his first time showing in Augusta. But he decided to enter THAT SLY KATZ owned by his grandmother, Rawlins J. Overstreet, in the $35,000 Non-Pro Any Age category.
Their score of 217 earned them the title, several prizes and $2,400.

During the eight day event, champions were crowned in eight main categories. There also was a winner of the Area 18 Youth Scholarships competition featuring 11 contestants from Georgia and South Carolina.

This year for a change, the Augusta Futurity management also introduced leveling to the show which resulted in several intermediate champions.
Special events also added to the excitement and fun of the show including NCHA members only Non-Pro and Open cutting, The 41 Open and The 41 Non-Pro competition sponsored by Miles and Becky Elliott, Western theme vendors, the Stallion Stakes Incentive program, a horse sale and the Wrangler Family Fun Fest.

Detailed coverage can be found at augustafuturity.com.

HERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE WINNERS:

4-YEAR-OLD FUTURITY OPEN
CHAMPION: AUSTIN SHEPARD of Summerdale, Ala., riding KINKY BOOTZ owned by Glenn Drake, 226
RESERVE CHAMPION: JOSH DEASON of Pensacola, Fla., riding AU AUBIECAT owned by Deason, 220

FUTURITY NON-PRO
CHAMPION: JORDAN VAUGHN of Forsyth, Ga., riding CR TUFF CATTY TREY owned by Vaughn, 222
RESERVE CHAMPION: MADALYN COLGROVE of Boligee, Ala., riding CD HIGH LENA owned by Joel M. Colgrove, 220

5/6-YEAR-OLD CLASSIC OPEN
CHAMPION: AUSTIN SHEPARD of Summerdale, Ala., riding DUAL REYISH owned by Billy Wolf, 230
RESERVE CHAMPION: BILLY WIER of Barnwell, S.C., riding HOWS YOUR MEMOREY owned by Robert S. Collins, 226

5/6-YEAR-OLD CLASSIC NON-PRO
CHAMPION: CADE SHEPARD of Summerdale, Ala., riding BARNEY ROSS owned by Austin Shepard, 223
RESERVE CHAMPION: BRET WAYNE PARSONS of Carlock, Ill., riding TERRIS SUGAR DADDY owned by Panther Creek Equine LLC, 218

4-YEAR-OLD UNLIMITED AMATEUR
CHAMPION: JORDAN VAUGHN of Forsyth, Ga., riding CR TUFF CATTY TREY owned by Vaughn, 222
RESERVE CHAMPION: TREY ROGILLIO of Ethel, La., riding SADIE SMOOTH owned by Rogillio Farms LLC, 216

5/6-YEAR-OLD UNLIMITED AMATEUR
CHAMPION: CORRIE M. ROUSEY of Carlsbad, N.M., riding DUAL PRIME TIME owned by Rousey, 220
RESERVE CHAMPION: JULIE A. BEASLEY of Montgomery, Ala., riding CR DUALIN OUT TUFF owned by Beasley, 217.5

$50,000 AMATEUR ANY AGE
CHAMPIONS: LEW HALL of Lakeland, Fla., riding SIR LONG LEGS owned by Hall, 222
RESERVE CHAMPION: BARNWELL RAMSEY of Huntersville, N.C., riding REYZURBETSONTHISCAT owned by Ramsey, 220.5

$35,000 NON-PRO ANY AGE
CHAMPION: JOE OVERSTREET of Kenansville, Fla., riding THAT SLY KATZ owned by Rawlins J. Overstreet, 217
RESERVE CHAMPION: MARY MICHAEL BRITT riding DONTREYNONMYPARADESF owned by Jason Britt, 214.5

AREA 18 YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP CUTTING
CHAMPION: GAVIN CALLAHAN of McConnells, S.C., riding MYSTIC CAT owned by Steven Marcello, 223.5
RESERVE CHAMPION: BLAKE GRAHAM of Rockledge, Ga., riding LEGAL DREAM owned by Graham, 221