If a cowboy can be measured by the company he keeps, then Craig Morris is in good shape.

As Morris rode in the Classic Open first go-round in the Augusta Futurity on Sunday, Phil Rapp, Lindy Burch, Matt Gaines and Bill Freeman all helped. Combined, the foursome have a total of 10 Augusta Futurity victories and all are members of the National Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame.

"I think you can take bits and pieces from a lot of different people, a lot of different successful people, and incorporate it into your own program," Morris said. "To me, that's a mark of a winner. Evidently, if they're winning they're doing something right. Those are the guys you want to learn from."

Morris has studied well. In December, he captured the most-prestigious event on the cutting-show circuit - the NCHA World Championship Futurity Open finals. He and One Smart Lookin Cat marked 226 to win by four points and earn $200,000. With the victory, Morris became eligible for the NCHA Hall of Fame.

"It was the greatest thrill of my cutting career so far," he said. "It's something I've dreamed about since I was a little kid."

Morris begins the journey today for his first Augusta Futurity Open title. He and One Smart Lookin Cat, a stallion by High Brow Cat out of The Smart Look, run 104th in the 122-horse draw in the first go-round of the division.

Futurity fans and competitors will keep a close eye on Morris to see whether he can parlay the NCHA Futurity Open accomplishment into an Augusta victory.

"It's funny now because people look at Craig a little differently than before the Futurity," Rapp said. "Craig hasn't done anything different. Craig got a good horse."

The 36-year-old Morris has quickly become one of the hottest trainers in the cutting industry. Following up on his NCHA Futurity Open success, Morris watched Randall Bass win the Augusta Futurity $50,000 Amateur For 5/6-Year-Olds on Missys Boonanza - a Morris-trained horse.

Fame and fortune has been a long time coming for Morris, who became a professional trainer in 1989. He tried college and was a pre-law student, but his mind would wander from the blackboard to the ranch. He dropped out of school to begin his new career with his stepfather Jimmy Purselley,a horse trainer in Burleson, Texas.

"There's a lot of nepotism in our business," Morris said. "And I think it's because it is a more complex business than what most people realize - your ability to understand horses, understand people and be successful. It's an acquired talent. Growing up in the business is quite an advantage."

Morris splits his time between training 40 horses for his customers at his Weatherford, Texas ranch, and competing for money. As a cutting horse trainer, he also has the roles of coach, counselor, truck driver and mechanic.

"You wear a lot of different hats," he said.

The only hat that will matter Saturday night will be that of the Augusta Futurity Open winner. A victory will help Morris get on the champion's list alongside wife Judy (1991 Amateur Any Age, 1992 $50,000 Amateur) and customers Bass and Jerry Durant (2000 Classic Non-Pro).

"We're always striving to get better," Morris said. "The old saying in cutting is you're only as good as your last run. You hope you can keep equaling your last best performance really."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 868-1222, ext. 114. or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.