Area 18 Youth Scholarship Cutting It was no time to break up a potent combination in the seventh annual Area 18 Youth Scholarship Cutting. Scott Roberson of Belton, S.C., rode Abilenas Little Pep, a horse owned by cutting horse announcer Macon Massey, to a 217 and a 3.5-point victory over Monty Nix of Barnwell, S.C. Massey of Wingate, N.C., not only announces Area 18 Cutting Horse Association shows in North Carolina, but he competes. That's how Roberson came to ride Abilenas Little Pep over the past year. "He needed someone to lope her down when he was announcing so I started showing her so I'd have her ready for him," the 17-year-old Roberson said. "I fell in love with her." "He'd have her ready and all I'd have to do was step down out of the announcer's booth and go cut," said Massey, who was in attendance as Roberson rode his horse, nicknamed "Abbey," to the championship. It was only fitting that Massey would allow Roberson to show the horse because it was on Abilenas Little Pep that Roberson earned most of his points during the year to qualify for this event. "It was a mutual thing," Massey said. "I think he kind of asked me and I hinted around that she was available if he wanted her. That was in March or April of last year." "Me and her just fit," Roberson said. "I thought they would get along; I really did," Massey said. "I think they proved that." Ironically, Roberson won with the same score that left him a distant second in 1997. That year, fellow Belton youth Adam Koontz had a blistering 222 to win the title. Koontz was back again this year, but marked a 202 as the first rider to work against a testy set of cattle. "I put a lot toward this," Roberson said after the victory, which earned him $2,000 toward tuition, if he attends college. Nix earned $1,000 in scholarship money. The 1998 youth cutting was expanded from 10 riders to 12 for the first time. The riders qualified based on points earned in Area 18 Cutting Horse Association (Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina) shows in 1997. Riders had to be 19 or younger. The strongest part of Roberson's ride came on the second cow cut. He worked her for 22 seconds, until just 12 seconds remained. He also showed the horse's ability on a third cow, working her to the buzzer. "I liked it," Roberson said. "It was a little fast but it was fun. I got through it all right."