Top riders, top sport and top horse welfare promised in new $300m showjumping league

The team behind the new $300m Premier Jumping League (PJL) that “defines a new era for showjumping” hopes to celebrate equine and human stars and attract new fans – while keeping horse welfare as the top priority.

The PJL had its official launch last month, a year ahead of the first competition. It will involve 16 teams competing at 14 venues across the US, Middle East and Europe – including the UK – and the aim is to “empower riders to compete as full-time professional athletes, while working towards a sustainable economic model for the sport”.

The PJL is backed by McCourt Global and its founder Frank McCourt, who has guaranteed the $300m prize money.

“We are lucky as a sport to have somebody with Frank’s capital and passion to get behind this and want to push it on,” PJL COO and president Nick McCabe told H&H.

“We’re trying to do the right thing for the sport. We’re investing and taking a big risk from a financial standpoint, but doing so because there’s such strong belief that there’s so much more potential than has been realised.”

Mr McCourt was introduced to horse sport by his wife and “fell in love with it”. He was involved with the Longines Global Champions Tour at its inception, owned the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and owns top-tier French football team Olympique de Marseille.

Elevating the profile

“Every jumping rider has to do other things, for the most part, to be able to make a living and support their horses,” PJL chief equestrian advisor and former FEI legal counsel Lisa Lazarus told H&H. “Frank had this vision of the best athletes competing against the best athletes, in a team context that could really elevate the profile of the sport.”

The 16 teams will initially be owned by the PJL but will be for sale, or it will be possible to lease them. Team owners will go through a process to select riders from the best in the world and pay them salaries. Each team will have five riders, three to compete at every event, and there will be a winning team at each leg but also overall season-long league standings.

A major aim is to support development of human and equine athletes, so as well as the major team competition at each venue, there will be smaller classes for younger horses and riders via an academy-type programme aimed at developing athletes into the PJL stars of the future.

Merit over money in the PJL

“Today, in this sport, the pathway tends to be more through money than merit; you’re buying your way into certain classes and competitions,” Mr McCabe said. “This is not what we believe in, absolutely not what Frank believes in.

“We challenged ourselves to build a development system in which riders can compete, show their qualities, hone their skill, move up and ultimately reach the PJL. If we can have a rider who we bring into our ecosystem, aged 19 or 20, who works their way up and becomes a star of a PJL team, that’s the dream.”

The aim of bringing in new fans is supported by a partnership with award-winning Box to Box films, which has been shooting footage for a documentary including the first season, and the fact all action will be free to watch.

“In particular, Frank was focused on how the sport is presented,” Ms Lazarus said. “Sometimes it feels equestrian sports are just produced or presented for equestrians, and there’s not enough ancillary information, engagement to really be able to bring in new fans, which you need to grow a sport.

“A lot of what he wants to do differently is based around television production. There won’t be paywalls, which is currently an issue, because you can’t really watch any jumping on free TV.

“There will be no pay cards; no one will be able to pay for VIP tables so they can jump alongside Harry Charles, Scott Brash or McLain Ward. The idea is top sport, top athletes able to make a living from the sport, and presenting it in a way that preserves the tradition, because that’s the foundation, but brings modernity, data and digital that makes it more interesting, and commensurate with the way people view sport today.

“What’s unique about Frank is that he really sees this as a legacy project. He loves the sport and he’s willing to commit very serious capital to building it and giving it time to grow.”

Welfare first

The team believes the PJL will be a very attractive model for sponsors, but all plans have been made, they stress, with horse welfare at the forefront.

“The most important part of my remit is making sure that with all decisions, the horse is prioritised and the decisions are made for its welfare,” Ms Lazarus said. “We’re going to venues that have good conditions for horses, where they can graze, the footing is top-notch, the weather conditions – everything that contributes to horse wellbeing is in the strategic plan.

“There is no greatness in horse sport without the welfare and safety of the horse. The PJL’s competition design, scheduling, travel approach and veterinary oversight will reflect uncompromising standards of care, rest and responsible decision-making every step of the way.”

The PJL has also stressed that it will not interfere with riders’ other commitments. Mr McCabe pointed out that there were 101 CSI5* events in the FEI calendar last year, so it will not be possible to avoid them all. But the league will follow riders’ natural routes; starting in the US in March when most are there for the Winter Equestrian Festival and moving to Europe in summer for the big shows here, to avoid extra travel.

Mr McCabe said the intention is to “be a good citizen”. The team has noted the major shows and championships to avoid clashes, but will stage events when riders and horses will be in the vicinity anyway.

And Ms Lazarus added that the league has been developed with rider input throughout.

At the forefront

“We want to create a platform where those riders and horses are front and centre; our absolute ambition is to position both at the forefront of elite sport alongside other elite athletes,” she said.

“There’s a lot of skill, talent, commitment that goes into the sport that isn’t necessarily seen. It’s a beautiful sport but demonstrating that athleticism, and the grit and sweat that goes into this sport, is definitely front of mind in terms of how we broadcast and communicate.”

The PJL has been working with the FEI from the start. An FEI spokesperson told H&H the league’s approval request is under review in line with FEI policy.

“The rules need to be reviewed by the jumping committee then, as always, there needs to be a presentation at the FEI board meeting in June,” said FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez. “We’re following the same process we would for anyone seeking a new series approval from the FEI.”

Former Olympic gold medallist Peter Charles, whose fellow Olympic team champion son Harry is on board with the PJL, told H&H he fully supports the series.

“I think it will enhance showjumping’s image, as it’s going to be front and centre about the horse and make stars of the horses,” he said. “They’ve put a lot of world-class thinking into it; no one can look at this and say it’s a bad idea. It will enhance venues and the standard will be high, as no one can buy their way in.

“I think it’s brilliant for the top end of showjumping, for horses, riders and owners; not jumping more, but jumping less for better reward and a better schedule for horses.”

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