Walk into any major show jumping venue on any continent and you will find the same thing: extraordinary athletes (four-legged ones) performing at the absolute limit of their ability, surrounded by an industry worth billions. From breeding farms in the Netherlands to auction rings in Germany, from Grand Prix arenas in the United States to the grass fields of Ireland, equestrian sport is genuinely global, genuinely diverse, and genuinely passionate.
And yet, for all its reach and sophistication, our sport is facing a question it can no longer avoid: are we letting money write the rules?
Prosperity creates opportunity, and a healthy, profitable industry is nothing to be ashamed of - it is a prerequisite for continued growth. But every sector with major financial interests also has its blind spots. And ours is becoming increasingly hard to ignore: money must never become the deciding factor for the level at which you compete, or the label an organisation is awarded. In plain terms - you should not be able to buy your way into a level of this sport where you do not belong on the basis of talent, discipline and horsemanship.
That is not an accusation. It is a call to action.
The Shift from Passion to Budget
Top rider Albert Voorn — self-described enfant terrible of show jumping — recently put his finger on the sore spot: "It has become more expensive to move towards the elite level, and it is increasingly tied to money." The sport has not fundamentally changed, except in quantity: more horses, more shows, more riders — good ones and weak ones alike. The key difference is the budget required.
Think about how a show used to be carried by dozens of volunteers who wanted nothing more than to watch top riders in action. They pitched in without hesitation, purely out of love for the sport. Today that has changed. The passion has partly shifted to the livestream screen — a professional and positive evolution, but also one in which something of the authentic on-the-ground involvement quietly disappears. That loss deserves acknowledgement.
And that is precisely where things sometimes go wrong. Elite sport needs a foundation, a reason for being. History also shows that a show which fails to maintain its quality — think a poor arena surface or substandard stable facilities — will sooner or later punish itself. The market corrects. But we do not need to wait for the market to intervene. We can set higher standards ourselves.
Five-Star Status Without Five-Star Care
This commercialisation connects seamlessly to the recent call from American rider Bliss Heers, who passionately advocates for decoupling FEI star ratings from prize money alone. And she has a point. Heers paints a painful picture: shows that carry the prestigious 5* status purely thanks to a well-filled wallet and a luxurious VIP lounge, while the facilities for the horses are substandard. Poor stabling, insufficient warm-up space, tight schedules, and no room to properly walk horses in hand.
This is unacceptable. These horses are elite athletes who make greater physical demands than anyone else involved. A 5* status should exclusively reflect 5* conditions for the horse: the best footing, the best care, the highest standard of welfare. If an organisation cannot provide those basic conditions, the FEI must unequivocally cap the star rating — regardless of how much prize money is on offer. Offering large sums as sporting incentive? Fine. But the size of the wallet must no longer be allowed to hijack the status of a competition.
A Historic Crossroads
Just as the Premier Jumping League makes its entrance with a budget of 100 million euros per year, we stand at a historic crossroads. This is the moment for the FEI and the IJRC to take back control and make the star rating in show jumping definitively independent of money — based purely on level and quality.
At the same time, there is a clear task for policymakers to revalue the sport from the ground up. From that philosophy, we previously launched a concept for the breeder bonus — an initiative through which breeders receive sporting and moral recognition for their contribution to the sport, independent of commercial interests. Not via the route of big money, but through appreciation for craftsmanship and vision. The national federation is fortunately eager to participate, and that is encouraging.
It reminds us that the strongest foundations are often found in local riding clubs — in the organic, passionate and community-driven way in which they have carried the sport for generations. That model deserves more recognition, not less.
The Responsibility Lies With Us
We do not need to wait passively for politicians or slow-moving federations. Albert Voorn put it sharply: "I have fought battles, but politics gets you nowhere. It is time we take responsibility ourselves."
Equestrian sport is a world where you learn empathy, but above all responsibility and discipline. It is the finest sector to be part of — driven by an unconditional love for the animal. Countless people demonstrate that every week, not only at the very top, but at every level. Because every level has its own valuable story to tell.
Voorn rediscovered his motivation and success through a simple lesson from legend Ian Millar: "Never change a horse to suit how you jump. Adapt yourself." When commerce rules blindly, the horse risks coming last. That lesson must now be projected onto the sport as a whole.
The riders and the actors in the field are the voice and the example. Let us use that voice — not to complain, but to choose. For quality. For the horse.
The horse does not need a lobbyist. It needs people who make their choices as if the horse is watching.
