Corey Cushing of Weatherford, Texas, made it two in a row at the 2026 AQHA Ranch Horse Classic on Nov. 6 at the AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City. Cushing rode Supreystitious, a 2021 gelding by Stevie Rey Von out of Duallicious, to the championship and collected the $33,000 winner’s check for owner Dan Fox of Weatherford, Texas.
The win capped a big fall for Cushing. In October, he earned his fifth NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open championship aboard Candy Shopp (Smooth Talkin Style x Shiney Nickel) with a 665 composite score at Fort Worth’s Will Rogers Coliseum. A year ago, he came to the Ranch Horse Classic as the Snaffle Bit Futurity reserve champion and went home with the classic title after sweeping all three phases on Tuff Tobe Woody (Woody Be Tuff x Katies Kitty). This year he claimed both championships.
Cushing and Supreystitious worked as draw three in the ranch riding and ranch trail and went back in as the fifth draw in the cow work. The pair finished with 120 points overall across all phases, 15 points ahead of the reserve champion.
How the Ranch Horse Classic Works
The Ranch Horse Classic is open to horses 3- to 5-years-old and limited to 20 entries, and one rider must show the same horse through every phase. The class opens with ranch riding, which rewards comfortable, ground-covering gaits, and ranch trail, which tests a horse’s disposition and its ability to handle obstacles and everyday ranch tasks. The finale is ranch cow work, where exhibitors show their horse’s cow sense and can choose to rope or circle their cow. An estimated $75,000 in prize money was up for grabs in 2026.
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Wade Meador of Marietta, Oklahoma, took reserve with 105 points aboard Sticky Kat, a 2021 gelding by Flames With Royalty out of Stickybay Boon, owned and bred by Matacorp Ltd. of Midland, Texas. Shadd Parkinson of Scottsdale, Arizona, placed third with 91 points on Thundr Strukk, a 2022 stallion by Metallic Cat out of Lightening Strike, owned by Hannes Winkler of Ellmau, Austria, and bred by Teton Ridge Ranch.
Several familiar names returned from last year. Bryce Hayden Briggs and Bet Hesa Pep finished fourth for the second year in a row, while Jay D. McLaughlin and 2025 reserve champion Boonuelos placed fifth. Lavert Avent, who won the inaugural Ranch Horse Classic in 2024 on TCR Wild Cat, finished sixth aboard TCR Bettingoncowtown. With his 2026 win, Cushing is the only two-time champion in the class’s three-year history.
2026 AQHA Ranch Horse Classic Results
Ranch Horse Classic
2026 AQHA World Championship Show
| Place | Horse | Sire/Dam | Rider | Owner | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supreystitious | Stevie Rey Von x Duallicious | Corey D. Cushing | Dan E. Fox | $33,000.00 |
| 2 | Sticky Kat | Flames With Royalty x Stickybay Boon | Wade Meador | Matacorp Ltd. | $22,000.00 |
| 3 | Thundr Strukk | Metallic Cat x Lightening Strike | Shadd Parkinson | Hannes Winkler | $11,000.00 |
| 4 | Bet Hesa Pep | Bet Hesa Cat x Miss Freckles N Pep | Bryce Hayden Briggs | Natalie A. Beight-Hair | $3,000.00 |
| 5 | Boonuelos | Once In A Blu Boon x Smart Nu Annie | Jay D. McLaughlin | JT III and Sandra Neal | $2,500.00 |
| 6 | TCR Bettingoncowtown | Cowtowns Cat x Bet Twice 002 | Lavert Avent | Grace Green | $2,000.00 |
| 7 | Boxo Opus Valentine | Opus Cat Olena x Boxo Valentines Cat | Stetson E. Ostrander | Box O Quarter Horses | $1,500.00 |