Corey
Cushing

From the Appaloosa World to the Top of Reined Cow Horse Competition

Corey Cushing is an American horse trainer and competitor best known for his accomplishments in the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA). Over the course of his career, Cushing became one of the leading riders in modern reined cow horse competition through multiple Snaffle Bit Futurity championships, World's Greatest Horseman titles, derby championships, and multi-million-dollar earnings.

Cushing grew up around horses and began riding at a young age. He first became involved in the Appaloosa horse world before transitioning into reining and reined cow horse competition. During his early development, he worked for several established horse trainers and spent time learning from prominent professionals including Noel Skinner, Todd Bergen, Teddy Robinson, Bob Avila, and other leading cow horse trainers.

CD Diamond, Four Futurity Titles, and Three World's Greatest Horseman Championships

Cushing established his own training operation at approximately age twenty-three and steadily built a reputation as one of the sport's top open riders. His first major NRCHA championship came in 2007 when he won the NRCHA Stallion Stakes Open Championship. Two years later, he won the 2009 NRCHA Derby Championship.

One of the defining moments of Cushing's career occurred in 2012 when he rode CD Diamond to win the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship. During that same event, Cushing also became the youngest NRCHA Million Dollar Rider in association history at the time. The partnership between Cushing and CD Diamond became one of the most recognized horse-and-rider combinations in the sport. Their 2012 futurity victory earned more than $100,000, and the horse later became an influential sire within the cow horse industry.

Cushing added Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championships in 2014, 2018, and 2023, becoming a four-time champion of the event. He also won three World's Greatest Horseman titles — in 2015 on PRF Spoonful Of Gold, 2019 on Sonita Lena Rey, and 2022 on Hott Rod — along with four NRCHA Derby Championships (2009, 2019, 2020, 2021) and three Stallion Stakes Open Championships (2007, 2016, 2025). In 2022 he became NRCHA's first Three Million Dollar Rider, and in 2025 its first-ever Four Million Dollar Rider — the winningest professional in association history.

• 4× NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion — 2012 (CD Diamond), 2014, 2018, 2023
• 3× NRCHA World's Greatest Horseman Champion — 2015 (PRF Spoonful Of Gold), 2019 (Sonita Lena Rey), 2022 (Hott Rod)
• 4× NRCHA Derby Champion — 2009, 2019, 2020, 2021
• 3× NRCHA Stallion Stakes Open Champion — 2007, 2016, 2025
• 2012 — youngest NRCHA Million Dollar Rider at the time (age 32)
• 2022 — NRCHA's first Three Million Dollar Rider
• 2025 — NRCHA's first-ever Four Million Dollar Rider (winningest professional in NRCHA history)
• 5× AQHA Working Cow Horse World Champion