Fresh off the reserve championship at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, Corey Cushing stepped into the ranch pen at the AQHA World Show to sweep the 2025 Ranch Horse Classic aboard Tuff Tobe Woody.
The 2021 stallion by Woody Be Tuff, out of Katies Kitty, and owned by Katie Fox, added $33,000 to his lifetime earnings after placing at the top of the class in all three portions of the event to unanimously win the championship. The victory pushed the stallion’s lifetime earnings to more than $47,000, according to QData.
“This horse has been a lot of fun,” Cushing said in an interview with AQHA after winning big. “Katie Fox told me, ‘You have to do this class—it was made for him.’”
In a small but competitive field of 20 entries—featuring both professional and amateur riders—the pressure was on Cushing and the stallion fondly known around the barn as ‘Woodrow.’ Cushing praised the stallion’s great attitude and the way he moves for helping make the win possible. Together, the duo scored a cumulative 360, after marking a 120 in each phase of the event.
The Ranch Horse Classic
The Ranch Horse Classic was first held in 2024 at the 50th anniversary of the AQHA World Show. Designed to highlight the athleticism, versatility, and cow sense of the American Quarter Horse, the event celebrates the traits that make these horses ideal partners for ranch work. The Classic was created to showcase the best of ranch-bred horses and the programs that produce them, while welcoming riders of all ages and experience levels.
This three-part challenge features 20 horses that demonstrate the top traits of working ranch horses. Each horse-and-rider team will compete sequentially in three phases:
- Ranch Riding – Highlights the horse’s ability to move with comfort, cadence, and efficiency, showing ground-covering gaits ideal for a day’s work.
- Ranch Trail – Tests disposition, responsiveness, and ability to handle common ranch obstacles.
- Ranch Cow Work (Circle or Rope) – Displays the horse’s cow sense and agility in handling livestock.
All horses must be between 3 and 5 years old and the same rider must show the horse in all three portions. The most capable, well-rounded performer across all phases earns the title of Ranch Horse Classic Champion.
In 2024, Lavert Avent won the inaugural Ranch Horse Classic aboard TCR Wild Cat. The 2019 gelding, owned by T Cross Ranches, scored a cumulative 301 across all three phases to win $33,000.
Results
| Place | Horse Name | Rider Name | Owner Name | Money Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuff Tobe Woody | Corey D. Cushing | Katie Fox | $33,000.00 |
| 2 | Boonuelos | Jay D. McLaughlin | JT III & Sandra Neal | $22,000.00 |
| 3 | Rosie Jonez | Joshua C. Briggs | Heather Van Hooser | $11,000.00 |
| 4 | Bet Hesa Pep | Bryce Hayden Briggs | Natalie A Beight-Hair | $3,000.00 |
| 5 | Droughted Out | Scott Bagley | Bagley Performance Horses | $2,500.00 |
| 6 | Suprise Bullet | Garrett Daniel Cooper | Emily Catherine Boldt | $2,000.00 |
| 7 | Justwatchmeonetime | Matthew Turner | William E Lewis | $1,500.00 |
| 8 | Badddazzzzzz Stevie | Benjamin Steven Baldus | Aaron Muehlstein/William Marsh/Matt Daniel | $0.00 |
| 9 | Smarts Four Ware | Dean L. Barent | Dean L. Barent | $0.00 |
| 10 | Yur Whizkey On Ice | Jennifer Ray | Darlene Hartmann | $0.00 |
| 11 | Super Kwik | Katie Dove | Julie Kent | $0.00 |
| 12 | Boxo Opus Valentine | Jecca R. Ostrander | Box O Quarter Horses | $0.00 |
| 13 | Chilly Run | Heather R. Thompson | Ashley Posthumus | $0.00 |
| 14 | Runningoutofboonlite | Steve Meadows | Kathryne Zachrich | $0.00 |
| 15 | Fullabama | Zane Herrin | Burnett Ranches LLC | $0.00 |
| 16 | Sweet Little Outlaw | John Roberts | Patsy Watson | $0.00 |
| 17 | Spook Off | Chris Rice | Kimberley Brittenham | $0.00 |
| 18 | Mitcheladaa | Jordan Ribeiro | Jordan Ribeiro | $0.00 |
| 19 | Wood E Woodpepper | Geoff M. Hoar | Shawna Dyan Husted | $0.00 |
— H&R —