Blewitt is repeat winner

Blame Matthew Blewitt for taking all the excitement away.

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Blame the 16-year-old cutting for riding too good a horse.

Blame Blewitt for dominating the Area 18 Youth Scholarship Cutting finals on Saturday night at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center. Atop Ethan Playmate San, Blewitt marked the best score of the Augusta Futurity with 222.

"God is so good to me, it's unreal," said a bowled-over Blewitt, who proceeded to thank everyone in the building, including the cheering crowd.

Don't blame Blewitt for getting emotional, his blue eyes filling with tears after his run. It was a watershed moment for the young cutter, who successfully defended his title.

Blewitt, of Wingate, N.C., earned another $3,000 scholarship. On Smart Docler, Priscilla Crawley of Unadilla, Ga., marked 219.5 for a $2,000 scholarship, while Nicholas Johnson and Maximilianox DNA finished third (217, $1,500 scholarship).

Blewitt quickly turned the competition into a snooze-fest. Blewitt, who wants to be a chiropractor when he gets older, cracked his competition's back from the start.

Riding first in the 12-horse event, he cut three cows bringing a loud roar from the crowd.

Blewitt removed his black cowboy hat and waved it to the fans as he left the pen. He proceeded to shake, cry, hug friends, cry, use his cellphone and then cry some more.

"I was just overcome by the moment," Blewitt said. "But I can be emotional."

And he can space out as well. Blewitt admitted his mind drifted elsewhere when he began to enter the herd for his first cut.

Trainer Tracy Barton, who helped get the horse for Blewitt to ride, told him to refocus.

"I said, 'Listen, you've got to get in sync," Barton said. "Then he just got in a zone."

Ethan Playmate San, a 12-year-old stud, zoned in as well. The horse - who Blewitt rode for the first time two weeks ago at a weekend cutting in Clemson, S.C. - kept the cows in the middle of the pen and danced in front of them to the delight of the crowd.

"I remember that horse held me very, very good," Blewitt said. "He was there the whole time."

Blewitt remained there on the back fence, cheering on his fellow competitors. One by one, they fell short.

Only 15-year-old Crawley could muster a good enough run to give Blewitt a challenge.

Even though she finished second, she didn't blame Blewitt for making it tough on everyone.

"I just went out there and tried to do my best," Crawley said. "It's all good. I'm really happy for Matthew. He had a great run."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.