Biography
Corey Cushing's second World's Greatest Horseman title in 2019 arrived under circumstances that made the victory all the more compelling. Cushing had qualified for the WGH finals in the last available position — backing into the championship round from the edge of elimination. What followed was one of the great competitive turnarounds in the event's history. He and Sonita Lena Rey, the 2018 AQHA Senior Working Cow Horse high-point champion, performed with the composure and quality of a team that knew exactly what it was doing once it reached the championship stage.
Sonita Lena Rey brought championship credentials to the WGH — her high-point title demonstrated the versatility and competitive quality that the event demands. Cushing's ability to prepare a horse of that caliber for the specific demands of the WGH, and then to compete without the pressure of being a top seed, produced one of the more memorable championship performances of the late 2010s. The story of the last-qualifier who wins the title is one that resonates in any competitive context.
Cushing's second title separated him from the field of one-time WGH champions and placed him in the company of the multi-title elite. With 2015 and 2019 now on his record, the question of whether he could reach a third — and match Dilday's record — became one of the narratives that followed him into every subsequent WGH campaign.