What it takes to become a world champion showjumper
In showjumping, as in tennis or soccer or figure skating, the development of a world-class champion takes years of training and preparation. Where the horse is concerned, breeding can be an essential factor and the starting point in the development of a top-ranked competitor, but just like his human partner, talent will only go so far without the heart.

Confidence is another key factor that requires years to instill. Although horses have a natural ability to jump, they don’t automatically wake up one morning with the desire to leap over six-foot walls. Rather than training to complete the course as a whole, the horse must first learn to jump each type of obstacle individually, from the Vertical to the Triple Bar to the Oxer. In the very beginning, the horse will learn to trot and canter over jump poles that are mere inches off the ground, and are raised gradually. As obstacle height is increased, the horse’s stride is lengthened or shortened depending on an obstacle’s characteristics and the distance between these obstacles.

Being a champion equine athlete truly has its perks, as with top human athletes. As part of their training regimen, horses receive chiropractic treatments, massage and acupuncture and only the best nutrition.

Of course, showjumping is not a solo competition; the horse and rider are a true team. In developing the team, the trainer is actually dealing with two distinct personalities – the rider’s and the horse’s. Confidence in a rider is as critical as it is in a horse; the horse can intuitively sense the rider’s mindset, and will back down from an obstacle if confidence is lacking.

How serious is the sport of showjumping?
Contrary to what many believe, showjumping is not a genteel affair observed in a stuffy setting, a venue for horse-loving aristocrats to show off their prized possessions. Rather, it is a sport of intensity. Of competition. Of drama. It is the only Olympic sport where men and women compete on equal footing. It is a sport that demands consummate athletic talent and mental focus of horse and rider alike, as they collaborate their way through a series of obstacles that include six foot high and 5 foot wide oxers, water jumps and foreboding brick walls. The slightest misstep will result in lost points – or broken bones.

Just how popular is showjumping?
It comes as no surprise that soccer is Europe’s most popular televised sport. But would you believe that showjumping occupies the number two position? The sport is every bit as popular in many Latin American countries.

If you happen to attend a showjumping competition in England, Germany or Argentina, you might be in for a surprise. There is excitement. There is music. There is anything but constrained silence. In fact, fans play as active a role in the event as do the competitors, cheering every bit as loudly as they would at an Aerosmith concert.

Here in the United States, Olympic Grand Prix showjumping has experienced a growth rate of 300% per year. During the past fifteen years, medal-winning performances by the United States Equestrian Team have helped propel the sport into the national consciousness.

The seriousness begins at the junior level
As with any other sport, the training of a world-class showjumping rider begins early; five or six years of age is typical. If the young rider wants to become a top senior-level competitor one day, he or she must train five days a week, and compete every weekend.

Competitive junior-level riders range from 15 to 18 years of age (you can’t compete in the Grand Prix until you’re 18), and many know that this is the living they want to pursue. At this point in their riding careers is where they’re able to win some decent-sized prize purses of up to 20 and 30 thousand dollars. They’re also competing for the attention of sponsors who can give them lucrative endorsements.

In the United States, the junior rider’s career prospects have been further legitimized by the fact that jumping has recently received college athletic Title 9 status. Now top schools are sending scouts to horse shows, on the lookout for promising juniors, who can look forward to the full-ride scholarships granted to athletes in other sports.

How much does a top showjumping horse cost?
For a top-performing junior horse, a typical price ranges from $250,000 on up. Once in a great while, a lesser bred horse will prove itself as a top showjumper. However, before such a horse can draw the big price tag, it has to demonstrate its potential.

For a seasoned, top grand prix horse, prices can be more subjective. How badly do you want to win, and how much money are you willing to put forth to make it happen? Based on this principle, it is common for such horses to command a price of several million dollars.