AUGUSTA, Ga. - The James Brown Arena is the site of the largest cutting competition with the richest purse on the Eastern coast.

More than 600 horses and 4,000 cows will be used in the arena during the 10 days of the 2008 show.

The first Augusta cutting competition was held over two-and-a-half days (Feb. 7-9, 1980) in what then was called the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center with 140 entries and a first-year purse of $64,489. The 2007 Augusta Futurity saw 665 entries from 27 states and Canada. This year’s total purse is expected to be about $1 million.

The total amount of prize money paid out since the Futurity’s beginning is roughly $14 million. The show has an annual economic impact of more than $11 million on the Augusta area.

Of the 28 champions of the prestigious Augusta Futurity Open event, 20 have been from Texas; five from Oklahoma and one each from Mississippi, Colorado and Virginia.

Although not an official part of the Futurity, the Area 18 Youth Scholarship also has become a popular offering to focus attention on the accomplishments of local younger cutters.