Corey Hurd Named 2023 WCRR Top Hand

Out of all the contestants at the 2023 World Championship Ranch Rodeo, only one takes home the Top Hand award.

Lauren Fritzler | Nov 13, 2023

Corey Hurd Named 2023 WCRR Top Hand /

Sooner Cattle Company's, Corey Hurd, was named the Top Hand at the 2023 World Championship Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo.

Throughout the four day rodeo event, each competitor was eligible to win the Top Hand award. A panel of judges takes note of skill, horsemanship, and teamwork abilities to determine the winner.

Hurd was born and raised in Oklahoma. He has worked for the Sooner Cattle Company, located near Pawhuska, Oklahoma, for the past six years. The operation is mostly stocker cattle, meaning they take young cattle and feed them a forage-based diet to reach a desired weight. Sooner receives their cattle from an affiliated ranch in Florida. The cowboys manage cattle on grass or in a feed yard, along with calving out cows in the spring and fall.

Success as a team and individually helped Hurd achieve this honor. In the aggregate, Hurd tied with Beachner Brothers Livestock cowboy, Marshall Hyer, for a championship in the Ranch Bronc Riding. Furthermore, the Sooner team won round one of the team penning at 37.16-seconds.

The cowboys on the Sooner Cattle Company team accompanying Hurd were Will Godsey, Dax Godsey, Russell Powell, Cody Haden and Brodie Godsey. Along with the Top Hand award, Hurd and Sooner Cattle Company won the 2023 World Championship Ranch Rodeo team, earning 287 points over two rounds of competition.

And that's not it. Hurd is one heck of a cowboy, but his greatest achievement is his family. Corey and his wife, Amber, have three sons, Huck, Hank and Haze. These three boys will be the next generation of cowboys and no better than their dad, Top Hand, Corey Hurd, to look up too.

Congratulations, Corey Hurd and Sooner Cattle Company!

Top Hand

Reserve - Colton Potter - Rocking P Cattle

Champion - Corey Hurd - Sooner Cattle Company

Published Nov 13, 2023

LAUREN FRITZLER

Originally from Northeastern Colorado, Lauren grew up on a farm and ranch where she was heavily involved in production ag. The small Colorado town allowed Lauren to flourish. Lauren’s family has a generational love for rodeo and she was naturally attracted to the western lifestyle. From an early age, she would compete in rodeos and travel with her mom to rodeos around the state while juggling school involvement. She prides herself in not only competing in rodeos, but winning rodeos on horses raised on the ranch. Lauren got to Texas as fast as she could. She currently attends West Texas A&M University where she studies Agricultural Media and Communication with a double minor in Ag Business and Economics and Broadcast Journalism. She is an Agricultural Ambassador for the Department and serves as the President for Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. When Lauren is not in the classroom, she is striving for excellence in her professional life. She has completed an internship at the College National Finals Rodeo and the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo, where she gained skills to make her mark on the western industry. She uses her graphic design skills to create logos for small businesses, travels to spend time with family, and immerses herself into the rodeo world. No matter where life takes her, Lauren is strong-willed and dedicated to her God-given purpose. Day by day, she aspires to be an advocate for agriculture and the western lifestyle. Lauren Fritzler believes we are all lifelong students, that the western lifestyle allots extensive learning opportunities throughout a lifetime. In efforts to teach others about rodeo, she is thrilled at the opportunity to collaborate with Sports Illustrated Rodeo Daily.