From the Rivertown Stables in County Cork, Ireland, via social media, a perspective worth consideration:
“I have mixed feelings. Part of me can see why people are excited. The FEI has approved it, there is huge prize money, riders will be salaried, teams will have owners, and showjumping could reach a much bigger audience. In some ways, that could be a good thing.
Riders need support. Horses cost a fortune to keep and produce properly. A better system could mean better planning, less pressure to chase every class, and more professional care around the horses.
The league has also said the biggest 1.60 meter class will only be jumped on the final day. That is a good welfare point, and it should be recognized. But I still cannot shake the question….is this really where we want showjumping to go? (To about the latest news from the league, click here)
The first team has already been sold for $50 million. That is not just sport anymore. That is business. That is investment. That is pressure. And when that much money comes into a sport, I think we have to ask harder questions, not fewer, A horse does not know it is jumping for a million dollar prize pot. It does not know who owns the team. It only knows how its body feels, how tired it is, how much it has travelled, and whether the work is fair. That is what I keep coming back to.
What does this actually mean for the horses?
I also think about everyday riders reading this. Most people are trying to afford hay, going to small competitions already barely surviving, lessons, diesel and vet bills. Then we are reading about $50 million showjumping teams. It makes the sport feel very far away from the normal horse person. Maybe this league will raise standards. Maybe it will bring better care and more support. I genuinely hope it does.
But bigger does not always mean better.
Money can improve things, but it can also make the pressure worse. And in horse sport, the horse is often the one who ends up carrying that pressure. So I am not against progress. But I am against calling something progress before we know what it really means for the horse. For me, welfare has to be clear from the start. Not hidden behind polished words. Not added in after the prize money. Not assumed because the sport looks more professional.
The money will make the headlines. The horses still need to be the main story as always.”