NRCHA's Most Decorated Active Competitor
Corey Cushing stands as one of the greatest competitors in the history of the NRCHA World's Greatest Horseman. His three championship titles — earned in 2015, 2019, and 2022 — place him alongside Russell Dilday as the only riders to win the title three times, making him one of the most accomplished reined cow horse competitors of the modern era.
What sets Cushing apart is not just the number of wins but the span of them. His 2022 title came seven years after his first, demonstrating a sustained excellence across different horses and different eras of competition. Each championship required Cushing to build a new champion-caliber horse and perform at the highest level across all three WGH phases — reining, cow work, and fence work.
Cushing's 2022 championship aboard Hott Rod, with a score of 891, gave him his record-tying third title and cemented his place among the all-time greats of reined cow horse sport.
Championship Record
Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth, TX
Score: 891
The Making of a Champion
Cushing's success across multiple decades reflects not only his talent as a rider but his ability as a trainer to develop championship-caliber horses. The World's Greatest Horseman demands excellence across three distinct disciplines — a rider who excels in reining may struggle in cow work, and vice versa. Cushing's ability to present complete horses across all three phases is what elevates him above one-dimensional competitors.
His approach to fence work — one of the most spectacular and athletically demanding phases of the WGH — has been particularly noted by observers and fellow competitors. The speed and precision required to track a cow along the arena fence at full gallop, mirroring its every direction change, requires a horse trained to a razor's edge and a rider with extraordinary feel and timing.