We already have the Global Champions Tour (GCT), Major League Show Jumping and now, as announced this week, the Premier Jumping League. It’s yet another enterprise adding high-end fixtures to an already-crowded elite scene in the sport.
This ambitious entity, however, plans to start with a gilt-edged flourish, offering a whopping $300 million in prize money. Approval is awaited from the FEI (international equestrian federation) and national federations, so the competition format and specific schedule haven’t been revealed yet.
However, the basic plans call for 16 teams competing between March and October 2027 at 14 venues across the U.S., Europe and the Middle East (provided it’s safe to operate in that area then.) Most fixtures will be at established venues rather than pop-ups, as GCT often tends to do.
Thirteen big name riders, including world number 10 Laura Kraut of the USA, world number one Scott Brash of Great Britain and France’s fast-rising star, world number six Nina Mallevaey, have endorsed the concept as its “ambassadors.”
Laura Kraut on her way to an Olympic team gold medal on Cedric in Hong Kong 2008.
It’s a venture spearheaded by McCourt Global, which is involved not only with sport, but also technology and real estate. A familiar name in the equestrian world, Frank McCourt is a former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. He co-founded GCT with Jan Tops before the two went their separate ways.
“For far too long,” McCourt believes, “many of the world’s best riders have been forced to choose between pursuing their talent and passion and building a sustainable career.
“The PJL is changing that by creating a clear and viable path for athletes to earn a great living by competing at the highest level, without compromising the traditions and values that define jumping.”
Frank Mccourt
He sees the league as “reshaping the future of the sport and empowering its most talented athletes to devote themselves fully to excellence.”
McCourt is a Wellington, Fla., landowner whose name was in the news last month when plans to develop his property with a country club feature were turned down by the Village Council.
The new league’s CEO is Neil Moffitt, well-known for being a big player in the hospitality and nightlife businesses, whose daughter, Emily, has show jumped for the British team. Moffitt described PGL’s mission as one designed to bring “a new level of engagement, energy and excitement to the sport.”
The chief equestrian advisor is Lisa Lazarus, an attorney who is CEO of HISA (Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority) and has worked for the FEI. Horse welfare is foremost in her role with the PGL, saying “it will reflect uncompromising standards of care, rest and responsible decision-making.”
She emphasized that with the Los Angeles Olympics on tap for 2028, care will be taken in 2027 not to ask too much of horses being prepped for the Games.
Efforts also are being made to see that PGL fixtures do not infringe on well-established “seminal marquee events,” but she acknowledged there might be some clashes with other competitions. However, she added, “pushing boundaries and bringing in more competition is a positive thing for the sport.”
Kraut noted that, “An Olympic gold medal is the greatest thing you can achieve in the sport.” And yes, she has one, from the team competition in Hong Kong at the 2008 Games.
“Yet for jumping athletes like me, the commercial opportunities often don’t follow,” Kraut continued.
“The gap between what athletes achieve and what they’re able to build tells you everything about the sport’s limited infrastructure to convert elite achievement into recognition and reward. I welcome the PJL’s values to reform this model in a way that drives revenue opportunities for all involved.”
The competitions in the U.S. will be overseen by Jon Garner, whose resume includes Spruce Meadows and the World Equestrian Center, and Dale Harvey, a West Coast show manager.
Nick McCabe, president of the PGL, has been involved with Moffitt in global entertainment and hospitality management. He noted that McCourt sees show jumping as sport “in which there is incredible athleticism, an incredible level of determination and focus required to get to the top…and yet it’s a sport perceived on the outside as really a hobby of the rich.”
He concedes there is a “pay-to-play element in the sport currently, there is a way to buy your way into it, arguably at the very top levels. “
McCabe explained, “We want the sport to be taken seriously, to be regarded in the same manner as other professional sports out there, and we want the athletes within it to be rewarded for that great determination, that focus, in a way that shows they could have a glittering career where they don’t have to worry about side hustles if they don’t want to.”
Most show jumpers are involved with training others or selling horses.
McCabe added, “The idea it’s necessary to support themselves in this world seems kind of asinine when you think about the level of skill required to get to the top.”
He considers the teams a serious “viable” investment and they will be sold on a permanent basis.
New leagues have popped up in many sports over the years. One of the most recent enterprises in that regard is LIV golf, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, shifting golf’s demeanor in a way that challenges the establishment PGA.
Showcasing jumping for the public is another goal of the PJL. It is acknowledged that live TV is no longer enough today; neither is free-to-air content. The key concept that drives success is learning who the audience is and what they want.
A partnership with Emmy award-winning production company Box to Box Films will showcase the sport by implementing “cutting-edge technology, radical transparency, and innovative team formats.”
The idea is to “enhance the drama, intensity, and rivalry that defines elite sport — unlocking the full potential of jumping, demanded by today’s global sports and entertainment marketplace, without compromising its core values.”