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It was just a matter of waiting for Vangilder
By Chris Gay
Staff Writer for the Augusta Chronicle
Jim Vangilder proved that sometimes it is better to be in a competition.
The Weatherford, Texas, native marked a 219 on Merada Clone on the first run of the event and held off 56 other cutters to win the $50,000 Amateur 4-Year-Olds go-round of the Augusta Futurity Saturday. The finals will be held today following the $50,000 Amateur 5/6-Year-Olds which begins at 8 a.m.
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Adam Koontz rides Cloud Nine (DNA) to first-go lead in $50,000 Amateur 5/6 year old competition Saturday at the Augusta Futurity.
Click on the image to see a larger view.
STEVE NORMAN/SPECIAL
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The Weatherford, Texas, native marked a 219 on Merada Clone on the first run of the event and held off 56 other cutters to win the $50,000 Amateur 4-Year-Olds go-round of the Augusta Futurity Saturday. The finals will be held today following the $50,000 Amateur 5/6-Year-Olds which begins at 8 a.m.
Twelve riders advanced to the finals with a score of 211.5 or better.
"Any time I get a 219 I'm pleasantly surprised," Vangilder said. "I don't have too many of those in my experience."
Vangilder is making his first appearance in Augusta. He owned a manufacturing company, but sold it four years ago. Two years later, Vangilder got interested in the sport of cutting.
"I've kind of been doing less working and more cutting," he said.
After a taste of the futurity last year, Vangilder had to come back this year.
"I came here last year and watched it," he said. "I was so impressed with the way the community supported the show and the facilities. I certainly wanted to come back here and compete."
Compete is exactly what Cara Barry did. Barry, of Byron, Ill., posted a 217 on Playguns Star to finish second in the go-round.
"We just tried to stay clean," Barry said. "I knew I had a good horse and good help. So I just tried to help (Playguns Star). And everything worked out really well."
Last year's winning score in the finals of the $50,000 Amateur 4-Year-Olds was 217. Barry believes cutters will probably have to score higher than that to win the finals this year.
"For the finals, you've kind of got to go for it," she said. "But you don't want to push it too far and make a big old mistake."
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