Tracy Barton couldn't believe his bus door wouldn't open early Monday morning. After taking the easy approach, he finally used his shoulder to batter his way free.

"I thought my lock was broken open," he said. "The ice had frozen the door shut and I couldn't get out. I finally broke the ice."

After enjoying mild weather during the opening weekend of the Augusta Futurity, cutters endured an unforeseen ice storm on day five of the 10-day show. Icicles served as a reminder of the frigid weather outside Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center - on trucks, trailers and cow pens.

Regardless, the show continued on schedule as the Futurity Open first go-round began at 8 a.m.

"It's not my kind of weather," said Matt Gaines of Weatherford, Texas. "I like it when it's about 75 degrees."

Tim Peterson, site manager of North Augusta's Hippodrome, wasn't too fond of the cold conditions, either. Pipes were frozen at the complex as of Monday afternoon, and power went out late morning. Peterson scurried around town searching for heaters for cutters and for the barns.

The Hippodrome houses 600 horse stalls in six separate buildings. Also, it holds a large open-air building in which cutters can lope their horses in preparation of their work later inside the civic center.

Despite wind and freezing rain, cowboys were able to get their horses ready without problem.

"Other than being wet and cold and being miserable out in it, for me anyway, it didn't cause any inconvenience," Gaines said. "I was still able to do what I needed to do and get my horses worked. It just makes it more miserable having to do it."

Icy weather can become hazardous, ending a horse's career with one simple slip.

"What really makes it dangerous is if you have a horse ramp on a horse trailer that's frozen," said Barton, fromUnion Hall, Va. "You've got to break the ice to get horses to walk up there."

Gaines said: "The only thing you have to watch, and it didn't get that way this morning, but if the ground would've gotten real slick then you run the risk of crippling those horses. When it's icy like that, it's hard for those horses to get around."

Cold weather itself can be a nuisance. Tracy Surles of Rock Hill, S.C., said a drop in the temperature can help unexpectedly wear down a horse.

"The colder it gets outside you have to be careful when you come in here and start getting the horses ready," he said. "In the loping area (inside the civic center), the dirt is so deep you can get them a little more tired than what you think you're getting them if you don't watch it. When you first come in here, they're so fresh and ready to go."

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