Clint Allen listened to stories about the Augusta Futurity and wondered whether they were tall tales. So he waited until he had a good stable of horses before he made the trip east.

Clint Allen, on Aristo Katz, won the Futurity Open title in 2004. It was the first time Allen had competed in the cutting-horse show at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center. He won the division, which is for 4-year-old horses, by a half-point. Patrick King/File

"I heard that sometimes the cows could be tough here and this could be a tough cutting," he said. "But I had a couple of horses I felt I could do good on if I showed them right."

He showed Aristo Katz better than the rest of the competitors in the 2004 Futurity Open. The pair marked 224.5 and won the finals by a half-point.

Not bad for a first-timer.

"It's weird coming somewhere like this for the first time and winning it," Allen said after the event.

With 25 years in the books, the Augusta Futurity is back. The cutting-horse show began Thursday and runs through Jan. 29 at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.

About 625 cutters are expected to contend for a purse of more than $1 million.

"My goal," show manager Pete May said, "is to put out a professional product and a fun product."

The futurity holds eight official events, but also contains several interesting non-official events. The third annual Extra Inning World Championship Bull Riding presented by USC Aiken will be held at 8 tonight.

The past two years, the event has filled the civic center.

"It adds to the ambiance," May said. "It starts the week off with a lot of enthusiasm."

On Saturday, the Wrangler Family Fun Fest will take place. The event, which will feature cloggers, music, pony rides and a petting zoo, runs from noon to 5 p.m. on the civic center plaza and is free to the public.

Later that night, families of any size can watch live competition inside the arena for $10 per family.

One of the most exciting competitions held last year was the inaugural Western Horseman Cup finals. The competition, which will be held Friday, Jan. 28, features 30 cutters vying for a share of the $250,000 purse.

The winner of the Western Horseman Cup open finals will earn $50,000, while the non-pro champion will take home $30,000. For the second straight year, it will be the most money awarded to open and non-pro champions in Augusta Futurity history.

The futurity will hold its annual horse sale at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 29 inside the civic center.

The annual Horse & Carriage Parade, typically run the first Sunday during Futurity Week, has been moved to May 14. The change was made in part because of inclement weather that forced the cancellation of last year's parade.