Final run by mare won't be forgotten

Lori Gale always cries when Short A Shay runs.

So when her son, Robbie Gale, and his mare threw down a thunderous run, yep, you guessed it.

Tears of joy flowed freely Friday evening as Robbie Gale and Short A Shay rung up a remarkable 225 to best the field by nine points in the $50,000 Amateur Any Age finals at James Brown Arena.

Gale, of Conway, S.C., collected $6,444 for his first Augusta Futurity title. Steve Warnell, of Blichton, Ga., and Haidas Golden Girl tied for second place at 216 with Kayla Norris, of Sumrall, Miss., and Kual Gun for $4,602 each.

In his first Augusta appearance last year, Gale and Short A Shay finished second in this event in the finals. This year, the two marked 220 to win the morning go-round.

A 19-year-old freshman double-majoring in business administration and business management at South Carolina, Gale and his horse worked eighth in the nine-horse final. The bad draw did nothing to slow them down.

As soon as his run began, Gale said he knew the 13-year-old horse was on.

"I was trying so hard not to smile," he said. "I was trying so hard to focus. But that mare made it so much fun."

When the scoreboard flashed his mark, Gale received his best score ever on the mare as well as the his best-ever score, period.

"That," he said, "is going to bring a smile to my face for the rest of my life."

Gale said when he finished he didn't bother worrying about his score.

"I didn't care what I got," he said. "I knew I had one of the best times of my life and that's all I cared about. When I stepped away from that herd and walked out, it wasn't about winning anymore. It was about the time that I had."

Lori Gale said she knew when her son entered the pen something big was about to happen.

"He was going to give it all out," she said. "You could just tell by the look on both their faces."

Gale said his family plans to send Short A Shay, who is by Shorty Lena out of Iam Bonitato, to the breeding farm this year. The mare will get to carry her foal, receiving her first chance to be a full-fledged mother.

So Friday night's run was her last.

There'll be no more tears. Not after that 225.

TODAY AT THE FUTURITY

There are three events at James Brown Arena today, beginning with the $20,000 Non-Pro Any Age go round at 9 a.m.

Outside on the Seventh Street side, the Wrangler Family Fun Fest will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The free event will feature a petting zoo, cloggers and Tara Scheyer and the Mud Puppy Band.

At 8 p.m., the popular USC Aiken Benefit Bull Riding Championship, a Professional Bull Riders event will begin. The bull riding is now a PBR Challenger Tour event, an upgrade from last year's PBR Enterprise Tour show.

Tickets go from $16 to $22 and can be purchased at the arena.

From the Saturday, January 24, 2009 edition of the Augusta Chronicle