More than $1m (£85.7m) prize money will be up for the winning at each Premier Jumping League (PJL) fixture, series organisers have confirmed, as the series has been approved to launch next year.
The PJL was granted series approval by the FEI at its board meeting this week (30 June-1 July), which organisers have hailed as a “major milestone in the league’s development”.
The approval formally sanctions the PJL format, rules, team structure, rider selection process and prize money.
PJL chief executive Neil Moffitt said: “This approval is a result of a collaborative and constructive dialogue with the FEI, and we are delighted with the outcome.
“The PJL is not seeking to reinvent jumping, nor to disrupt the existing ecosystem. Our objective is to present the sport in a way that protects its integrity, respects its heritage, and creates greater opportunities for everyone involved.”
H&H reported that the $300m series, due to launch next March, is the brainchild of and backed by Frank McCourt and McCourt Global. The first team was also sold this week, for $50m.
The PJL venues are yet to be confirmed but organisers have told H&H fixtures will not interfere with riders’ other events and that the series will follow their natural routes around the world to avoid extra travel. A major aim of the league is to celebrate human and equine athletes and attract new fans to showjumping.
“This is about positioning jumping alongside other elite sports – not as a niche pursuit, but as a premium international sporting product capable of attracting major audiences, sponsors, broadcasters and commercial partners,” Mr Moffitt said.
“I am incredibly proud of the professionalism and dedication shown by the entire PJL team throughout this process, and I would like to thank the FEI for its positive engagement. We are excited to begin the next chapter and deliver a competition series that benefits the sport for generations to come.”
PJL format: how it will work
Each PJL fixture will start with a “seeding” class on day one; individual results will be combined to determine team standings.
On day two, teams will compete based on these standings, in a “multi-round format designed to “maximise suspense and audience engagement”. All riders jump in the first round, then each combination will jump one of the next three, over a shortened course, and teams will progress through elimination rounds.
Day three will culminate in a 1.60m class with $700,000 in prize money.
“Importantly, 1.60m competition is reserved exclusively for day three, limiting repeated jumping at maximum height and reinforcing the league’s commitment to horse welfare by reducing the cumulative demands placed on horses throughout the event,” a PJL spokesperson said.
There will be 16 teams competing in the season; each will have five salaried riders, three to compete at each event. The season will conclude with a final at which 12 teams will compete.
An FEI spokesperson confirmed the series’ approval, which also confirms the PJL rules and regulations.
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