Pete May wanted to kick the Augusta Futurity's first weekend up a notch.

With the addition of the World Championship Bull Riding competition, a "Family Fun Night" for kids and an expanded parade featuring the Budweiser Clydesdales, he accomplished his goal.

Last year's champs

Here's a list of all the 2002 Augusta Futurity champions: Event: Rider, horse, score, owner Futurity Open: Phil Rapp, Dulces Smart Lena, (223), Dulces Smart Lena Syndicate Futurity Non: Pro-Hope Justice, Freckles Lena Boon, (222), Hope Justice Classic Open: Sean Flynn, Purdy Aristocrat, (223.5), Jack and Susan Waggoner Classic Non-Pro: Skip Queen, Tys Twister DG, (223), Skip and Elizabeth Queen $50,000 Amateur Any Age: Ken Warnell, Haidas Peprico, (220), Ken Warnell $50,000 Amateur for 4-year-olds: Adam Koontz, Yellow Rose Vandal, (216), Dan Koontz $50,000 Amateur for 5-6-year-olds: Jim O'Neil, Love A Little Devil, (219), Jim and Donna O'Neil $20,000 Non-Pro: Carroll Baggett, Mr Holey Chic Olena, (219), Carroll Baggett -- From Staff Reports

"We've really got something special going that first weekend," said May, the Augusta Futurity show chairman. "In the past, it's been real soft. Now, we're opening the show real strong."

May is expecting more than 600 competitors to compete in eight official events and the unofficial Area 18 Youth Scholarship Cutting competition in the 24th annual Futurity, which starts at 8 this morning at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center. Last year, the show drew 650 entrants from 28 states and Italy.

In 2002, the total purse was $783,064 with $250,000 in added money. May said this year's purse will be more than $750,000 with $250,000 in added money. The added money is provided by the patron group of the futurity, the Champions Club. The group boosted its added money from $200,000 to $250,000 last year.

The increase in added money boosted the grand prize of the Futurity Open finals. In 2001, Faron Hightower took home a check for $20,932. Last year, seven-time Augusta Futurity champion Phil Rapp won $30,548.

Though the event is nearing its silver anniversary, officials are still tinkering with the show. Last year, the semifinals of the Futurity Open were eliminated and will not return in 2003.

"We're still trying to make it a better contest," May said. "It seems we learn something new every year."

This year, officials switched the nights of the Classic Open finals and Futurity Non-Pro finals. Now, the Futurity Non-Pro finals and Classic Non-Pro finals will be held Friday, Jan. 31, while the Futurity Open finals and Classic Open finals will be held, Saturday, Feb. 1.

Another change made was helpful to the non-pro competitors, who are riders who do not make cutting a full-time profession. Show officials moved the Futurity Open second go-round back three days to Jan. 31. That allows the Futurity Non-Pro to begin Tuesday and the Classic Non-Pro to start Wednesday.

May said the majority of non-pro competitors work full-time jobs. These changes would allow them to take less vacation time.

"We're trying to give the non-pros an opportunity not to come in as soon as they have in the past so more will come," May said. "We were tying the non-pros up here too long of a time."

Futurity officials also made changes to the 2002 show to accommodate non-pro competitors. The moves paid off - a record 108 entrants participated in the Classic Non-Pro event (27 more than 2001) and 89 entrants competed in the Futurity Non-Pro event (19 more than 2001).

Non-pro competitors will most likely miss one event, May said he was excited about - the World Championship Bull Riding competition, which is presented by USC Aiken's baseball team. Forty riders will participate in the 2 1/2 -hour event.

"That's a novelty act to us, but we think that will create a lot of interest," he said. "People like bull riding. It's not a rodeo. We're focusing on the energy of the rodeo and just doing the bull riding.

"I think the bull riding will add a Western flavor right off the bat."