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High school senior always up for a little horsing around
By Alisa DeMao
Staff Writer
Monty Nix III is hoping for a repeat performance at the Augusta Futurity.
Monty, 17, won the Youth Cutting-Horse event at the 2001 Futurity, with a little help from Sug's Little King, his 17-year-old gelding. They'll seek to defend the title Thursday.
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Monty Nix III won the Youth Cutting-Horse event at 2001 Augusta Futurity and is hoping for another win this year.
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"It was great - that's been my dream since I started showing cutting horses," said Monty, who has competed since he was 5 and first participated in the Futurity in 1996. "Last year, it finally all paid off."
The Barnwell High School senior faces competition from 11 other riders from Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Eight, including Monty, are returning from last year's competition. Prizes include a $3,000 scholarship and a new saddle.
Each teen will face a group of four cows, and they'll "cut" up to three from the group, one by one, in order to show off the paces of their horses and demonstrate how well the horse and rider work together to control the cows. Riders have to cut at least two cows, but shouldn't work with all four. That's considered sloppy because you didn't spend enough time with the first three during the allotted time.
"You get 2 1/2 minutes. ... Sometimes it seems like it's forever," Monty said with a laugh.
"You really don't think about anything but you and the horse - it's a lot of mental preparation. It's like everyone else isn't even there."
Monty was in kindergarten when his parents got him involved. His two sisters, 14-year-old Ashley and 13-year-old Melissa, also compete, although they won't be participating in the Futurity this year.
He spends up to an hour a day working with his mount - and that's regular exercise, not the intense training required for an upcoming competition. For a big event such as the Futurity, the horse will spend time with a professional trainer as well.
Monty competes in cutting-horse events throughout the year, but he has limited that activity since he found another love during the past year: rodeo riding.
"It's fine as long as you get taught right," he said. "It's just like any sport - you can pull a muscle or break a bone. But you could do that in any activity.
"You work with experienced riders to train, but also, God's got to give you the ability to do something like that."
Other extracurricular activities have fallen by the wayside because riding and competing take up so much time. Even though he's considering a career in forestry, Monty says there's more of a future in riding than in a sport such as soccer or baseball - even if it's only a hobby and not a job.
"I know some 80-year-old men and women out there who are still out there riding cutting horses."
CUTTING COMPETITION
WHAT: Area 18 Youth Cutting Horse competition, 2002 Augusta Futurity
WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center, 602 Seventh St.
ADMISSION: Adults $12, children 12 years old or younger $2. To purchase tickets call Ticketmaster at (706) 828-7700 or pay cash at area Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets also can be purchased at the civic center.
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