Madrid Horse Week introduces new concept of showjumping; Jumping Clash

In general horsesport is to complicated (also read boring) to be put on television, that is why Daniel Entrecanales, President of the Madrid Horse Week, has developed a new concept to bring show jumping sport. “In television, the powerful sports always have big winners and losers. But in sports that are not successful for TV, it is hard to see the difference between one athlete and another one,” he points out. “It’s hard to tell one ski jumper from another, for example. And when 50 riders come into the arena, as a consumer it’s hard to remember one name. The solution to the question how to make the sport simpel and easy to follow is JumpingClash; Successful sports nurture hero figures and personality-driven athletes. Along with Pablo Marquez, Entrecanales has designed a new, FEI-approved competition format that he hopes will do exactly that by presenting show jumping in a format that both live and television audiences can embrace. During Madrid Horse Week CSI5*, JumpingClash Challenge will make its worldwide premiere after years of development. Madrid Horse Week is Spain’s largest equestrian event. The CSI5* show jumping includes a Western European League Longines FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix. Added into the mix this year will be JumpingClash, which, while approved to be held under the CSI5* rating, will premiere in Madrid as a CSI2* class. The key of JumpingClash is a bracketed format and direct elimination. The loser of each “clash” between two riders is immediately eliminated from the competition. As each round is completed, subsequent riders are systematically eliminated until the final rider is crowned champion. JumpingClash will involve 16 riders: eight Seeded riders who are pre-qualified based upon their FEI ranking, who jump against eight Challenge riders who qualify for JumpingClash in the show’s first feature class.

Day 1 is the qualifier, and only the Challenge riders need compete to qualify for JumpingClash. On Day 2, all 16 riders go head to head in the First Round. One Seeded rider goes head to head against a Challenge rider, coming out on the course one by one, and the winner of each confrontation will pass to the next round. On Day 3, the Quarter Final phase of eight riders in four clashes, the Semi-Final phase of four riders in two clashes, and the Final of two riders in one clash, all take place. Take note: JumpingClash Challenge is FEI approved and will run as a CSI rated competition. At its premiere in Madrid, it will be at the CSI2* level, but, barring conflicts with concurring Nations Cups or World Cup Qualifiers, the competition will operate as a CSI3* or higher competition, with corresponding prize money amounts. A fully outlined rule book and international standards are part and parcel of JumpingClash. If the format catches on, Entrecanales is ready to franchise JumpingClash to horse shows around the world, at all levels. He has already seen interest from show managers in the United States, England and Europe.