Robert Graves, on Smart Bobbi Sock, had 218 in the second go-round of the Classic Non-Pro and easily advanced to the final. Special

Robert Graves dismounted and let out a "Whew!"

For the second consecutive day, Graves and Smart Bobbi Sock had a memorable run. The pair marked 218 on Wednesday in the second go-round of the Classic Non-Pro at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center. Graves and his mare won the first go-round of this class, with 220 on Tuesday, and they enter tonight's final as the top pair with a combined score of 438. They tied for third place in the second go-round with the 218.

Graves, a 67-year-old retired general contractor with seven children and 15 grandchildren, has never won an Augusta Futurity title, but will be one of the top contenders tonight. After missing the finals last year, he said he's just happy to be competing for a championship.

"I'm just so delighted and really stunned that I've been able to advance," Graves said. "I guess a blind pig picks up an acorn once in a while."

Twenty horses advanced to the championship round with scores of 430.5 or better. The Classic Non-Pro finals begin at 6:30 tonight and will be followed by the Classic Open finals.

Jim Langdale and Widows Intentions recorded the second-best aggregate score at 437, finishing one point behind Graves and his horse.

Kyle Manion and Ricochet Pep (435), the 2004 Western Horseman Cup Non-Pro champions, tied with Bob Parsons and Just Call Me Socks (434.5) for the top second go-round score at 218.5.

"Just trying to survive," Manion said. "I wanted to have a good run. I didn't want to chance anything by playing it safe either."

Once again, Smart Bobbi Sock, a 5-year-old mare by Bob Acre Doc out of Neat Little May, was on top of her game. And so was Graves.

The two split right through the herd and cut out two cows. Graves was told by his help to be aggressive, and he obeyed.

"I have a tendency to be more of a softer cutter than aggressive," he said. "They were trying to tell me to take control of the cow. Yet, you can't be rambunctious. You can't be erratic with it."

His second cow tried to slip free twice and return to the herd, which would've knocked Graves out of the competition. But he and his mount regained control.

"I was thinking, 'Uh-oh,' " Graves said. "That mare just got tighter and tighter. That's the advantage she has. She just kept the cow trapped. If it would've started going wall to wall, I would've been in trouble."

Now that they survived to the finals, Graves and his horse will have one of the best shots to take home the Non-Pro title.

"That'd probably be the highlight of my old-age career," he said.