Skip Queen, on Sister CD, scores a 227.0 to win the Classic Non-Pro Finals Thursday. Special

Skip Queen unleashed his right fist into the air.

He didn't need judges to validate his run aboard Sister CD. He knew.

Queen and his gelding rung up their best run together, a winning score of 227 in the Classic Non-Pro finals Thursday night at James Brown Arena.

"You don't have those kind of runs that often," he said. "When they do happen, you feel like you've done something."

Queen of Lipan, Texas, collected $22,044. Mary Ann Rapp of Weatherford, Texas and Reytilda placed second at 222 for $15,516. Atop Lil Lena Long Legs, Rapp also tied for third with Chad Bushaw of Weatherford, Texas and A Cat Above at 218.5 for $11,438.

Queen and his gelding marked the highest score of the 28th annual Augusta Futurity. They also tied 2004 champs Jim Vangilder and Zacks Lena for the highest score in this event.

With his latest victory, Queen now has three Augusta titles (1999 $50,000 Amateur Any Age, 2002 Classic Non-Pro). He now has more than $100,000 in all-time Augusta winnings.

He and his wife, Elizabeth, also own a combined five Augusta titles.

It's fitting the Queens, who have two children (5-year-old son Elliott and 2-year-old daughter Katherine), have had much success here. Skip grew up 130 miles away in Lancaster, S.C. Elizabeth's originally from Estill, S.C. When they first got married, they lived in Allendale, S.C., where Skip currently co-owns Queen Wood Products, a company that manufactures wood shavings.

Queen's parents, who aren't horse people, first brought him to the Augusta Futurity in the early 1980s. In 1993, he showed cutting horses for six months and learned a fast lesson.

"I couldn't afford it. So I had to quit," he said.

Queen returned to work, but he got back in the cutting business about 10 years ago. He's been coming to the Augusta Futurity ever since.

"If you live around here," Queen said, "you want to go to Augusta."

In the finals, Rapp and Reytilda fired the first shot. It would take a big effort to top that score. That's exactly what Queen and his horse did.

The run came as no big shock to Queen. He bought the horse during the middle of his 3-year-old year from Bar H Ranch. Queen saw trainer Paul Hansma working the horse, and he knew right away that was the one he wanted.

"Watching him work, you could tell he had the talent," Queen said.

Sister CD, a 5-year-old gelding by CD Olena out of Little Baby Sister, is displaying that talent. Last year, Queen and his horse finished in a tie for second in last year's Futurity Non-Pro finals. They later won the NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro finals.

Earlier this month at the Abilene Spectacular, the pair finished second in the Non-Pro.

Queen said the horse's success stems from its qualities.

"He's a hard stopper," he said. "There's a lot of eye appeal to him. And he's very gritty.

"He's been a great horse for me. It's a real pleasure to own him. I don't know how many you get to own like that in a lifetime."

Queen decided he will not ride Sister CD in tonight's Western Horseman Cup Non-Pro finals. Instead, Hansma will ride the horse in the Western Horseman Cup Open finals.

"I'm not going to make (Sister CD) go twice," Queen said. "He's paid his dues."

From the Thursday, January 26, 2007 edition of the Augusta Chronicle