Jill Freeman didn't let the ornery cows bother her.

"My help told me the cows weren't as bad as they looked," she said.

Jill Freeman, on Wild Thing, wins the 20K Non Pro Any Age with a score of 218.0. Special

Her help was right. Freeman marked a 218 to win the $20,000 Non-Pro Finals on Saturday in the Augusta Futurity at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.

On Wild Thing, Freeman of Rosston, Texas, took home $4,441 for the victory.

Tammy Freeman, the 2003 $20,000 Non-Pro champion from Burgaw, N.C., placed second on Hickorys Candy Man at 216 for $3,330. The Freemans are not related.

Finishing third (215, $2,775), on Docs Zima, was Kaitlyn Larsen of Millsap, Texas.

Jill Freeman matched the score she posted in Thursday's go-round, when she finished second, a half-point behind Chip Bell.

In the finals, Jill Freeman rode seventh in the bunch of 14 horses. The previous high score was a 212, making her job easier. Still, she just focused on her work ahead.

"I needed to drive out and give my horse a chance and not to have to work against the herd and not to have to keep those cows stirred up," Jill Freeman said.

Jill Freeman was worried about the condition of her horse coming into the show. Wild Thing, a 6-year-old stallion by Smart Little Lena out of Autumn Boon DNA, is slowed because his hocks are fusing - a long natural process when a horse grows spurs and has limited movement in the joints.

The wife of trainer Bill Freeman, Jill Freeman picked up her biggest win of her short career. She competed in numerous weekend shows and just one aged event. Her career earnings were $2,000.

"I'm thrilled," she said.

Douglas Tyson was also thrilled, but for a completely different reason. Midway through his run, Gin N Trona fell sideways to the ground, tossing Tyson. He brushed himself off, while the gelding sat on his two hind legs.

"My only concern during the whole thing was him; I knew immediately I wasn't hurt," Tyson said. "It scared the living hell out of me, because I thought he broke his leg. When he didn't get up, I said, 'This is going to be ugly. When he gets up, that leg is going to be flopping.' It scared me to death."

Tyson eventually got the horse up on all four legs. Tyson waved his hat to the crowd at their request, drawing a smattering of applause.