Greg Coalson watched an unruly cow nearly bump his horse, Shorty Mialena, out of the Classic Non-Pro competition Thursday.

Greg Coalson on Shorty Mialena. 5/6 NP - 2nd Round Combined score 438.5. Steve Norman

Amazingly, Coalson salvaged his ride for 218 and moved to the finals with a combined top total of 438.5 in the Augusta Futurity. The Weatherford, Texas, cutter also qualified Quejanaisalena (431) to the finals.

Twenty-two horses with aggregate scores of 430.5 or better advanced to tonight's finals, which begin at 6 at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center. Hope Mitchell, who qualified two horses to the finals along with Dustin Adams, won the second go-round with a 218.5 on Opus Ex.

Twice a reserve champion in Augusta, Coalson watched as his first cow nearly eliminated his top horse. As the brown cow tried to pass Shorty Mialena's right side, helper J.B. McLamb cut it off near the corner of the pen.

"I wasn't worried," Coalson said. "I knew I needed to get off the cow. I knew that cow was getting mad. Luckily, that angle she hit me, J.B. was over there and kind of wedged her and made her turn away. If he wouldn't have been where he was we probably would've lost her."

Coalson also credited Shorty Mialena, a mare by Shorty Lena out of Quejanamia for holding the run together. He and the horse won the first go-round with a 220.5

"She's finally starting to grow up," Coalson said. "She's been a real late-maturing mare. She's been really promising, even in her younger years. She's finally getting more consistent."

Now Coalson, who has been showing here since 1991, has two horses he believes can help him obtain his first Augusta victory. First, he needs a little luck.

"You sure enough have to draw good," he said. "If I can just keeping them working like they are, I feel comfortable about getting them showed. You never feel like you can really come here and win one of these."

Though Shorty Mialena has been his better horse this week, Coalson puts his faith in Quejanaisalena, a stallion by Smart Little Lena out of Quejanamia. Last year, the two finished second in the Futurity Non-Pro.

"He's a blast to show," Coalson said. "On the right kind of cattle he can really get across a cow flat. He's stronger than this mare. He's so strong and physical, he can get across and get a cow stopped and then get back through and stop it the other way."