Zachary Knowles continued his stellar 2011 on Saturday afternoon.
Riding Glows, Knowles marked 219 to win the $50,000 Amateur Any Age finals, his first Augusta Futurity championship.
Knowles of Springfield, Tenn., took home $2,760 for his first major victory. The win capped a superb January for Knowles and his wife, Hannah, who had their first child -- daughter, Karleigh -- three weeks ago.
The 21-year-old Knowles who raises cattle and horses, has been riding horses his entire life but got into cutting about seven years ago. He's been competing in the Augusta Futurity for five years, but didn't have a breakthrough until Saturday.
"It's a good show," he said. "The cattle are good. I like the arena."
Doug Irvin of Hollidaysburg, Pa., and Rey Bans placed second at 216.0 for $1,882. Aiken's Lisa Strickland and Tom Acre finished third at 214 for $1,569.
Knowles and Glows made the finals by marking 213.5 in the go-round, a score that fell right on the cut line. In the finals, he and his mount ran deep in the bunch -- ninth in the 10-horse finals. The bad draw didn't bother the duo.
"We got some better cows," Knowles said. "And he knows what to do."
Knowles bought the 9-year-old gelding by Smart Lil Ricochet out of Aglows Little Peppy in December 2007 from Skip Queen.
"He's the smartest horse I've ever had," Knowles said. "He's extremely athletic. He tries his heart out every time."
Chisholm Clark, who won the Area 18 Youth Scholarship finals one night earlier atop Swinging Til Five, won the early-morning go-round. He and his gelding marked 220 after posting a score of 221 on Friday night.
"I just wanted to go in for a nice clean run and make the finals," Clark said. "I didn't think I'd mark a big score."
Clark and Swinging Til Five lost their first cow in the finals. Despite the disappointment, the 15-year-old Clark still said he was pleased with his Augusta Futurity experience this year.
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