Mary Ann Rapp clutched her yellow ping-pong ball marked with a black No. 1.

By luck of the draw, the two-time Augusta Futurity Non-Pro champion received the first selection Wednesday in the Non-Pro draw in advance of tonight's inaugural Western Horseman finals, which begin at 6:30 at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.

The finals feature the creme de la creme of National Cutting Horse Association horses and cutters. Fifteen Non-Pro riders and 17 Open horses will vie for a share of the $250,000 purse in the one go-round event.

First, though, cutters chose their position in their respective divisions by virtue of a lottery. NCHA assistant executive director Mike Kelly drew names out of a barrel and lined cutters up so they could draw numbered ping-pong balls.

Rapp drew the No. 1 ball for the Non-Pro, while Tag Rice, the 2003 Augusta Futurity Open champion atop Chiquita Pistol, pulled out the No. 1 ball in the Open. Each decided to run early in the second set of cattle. Rapp slid her name into the board beside the No. 10 position.

"It's always good to be third in the second bunch if you have the opportunity," Rapp said. "It's nice to be early in Augusta, and it gives you the opportunity to let a couple of people settle the cows before I get there.

"It's early enough that you'll have some good cows left."

Rice chose the No. 10 hole, or second in the second bunch of cattle.

"I haven't ever entered the finals that early in the bunch, but that's where you want to be here, I think," he said. "Everybody would rather be in the second bunch if you had to pick. You'd want to be pretty early (in the second set), or I did, down here."

With $50,000 to be awarded the Open champion and $30,000 to the Non-Pro winner, cutters wanted to make sure they positioned themselves wisely in the draw. Most riders decided to run in the top five positions in the second bunch of cattle.

"This is a really great innovative event that the Augusta Futurity has embraced, and that the NCHA is whole-heartedly behind, because it rewards success," Lindy Burch said. "It's really a neat showcase for the audience to come see if they want to see the best of the best."

Selecting seventh in the Open draw and choosing fourth in the first set, Burch and Play Peek A Boon get their rematch with Rice and his Triple Crown champion mare. In last year's Futurity Open finals, Burch and her mare tied the highest score in Augusta Futurity history at 227. On the next run, Rice and Chiquita Pistol set a new record, trumping the pair with 230.5.

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