September 19, 2024 
A rare portrait of a teenage Mozart. A McLaren Solus GT sports car. A rotating humidor containing 500, Cohiba cigars.
They all come with a price tag of around €4 million, which means they’re all now within the purview of King Edward and Henrik von Eckermann’s total career earnings. As of this summer, the Swedish power duo—already the highest-earning pair still competing—surpassed even their retired rivals.
With a current total of just under €4,030,000, the world no. 1 of more than two years and the 14-year-old Belgian gelding bested previous record-holders McLain Ward and HH Azur at €3,846,514, and Kent Farrington and Gazelle at €3,528,681. Their only true, contemporary rival: Gram Slam live contenders Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei, who currently boast €3,644,574.
Fun fact: Should Fuchs and Leone Jei win the next Rolex Grand Prix at CHI Geneva (December 11-15, 2024) their €500,000 Rolex Grand Slam bonus for two, consecutive wins would put them ahead of von Eckermann and King Edward by more than €110,000.
But that’s assuming that King Edward, himself, won’t take home that hefty purse—or continue to add to his list of once-in-a-generation-worthy accomplishments.
These, of course, include the 2021 Olympic team gold medalist and 2022 World Champion’s back-to-back wins at Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™️ Finals. Of his most profitable placings, according to Jumpr, a significant portion has been earned thanks to those consecutive World Cup Finals titles: the King pocketed €172,500 in Omaha in 2023, and a cool €516,000 in Riyadh in 2024.
Top placings in the GCL Prague Playoffs (2021) and Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix (2023) helped the pair net nearly €550,900 more. Meanwhile, they took home €150,000 or more a show for wins or top finishes in the IJRC Top 10 Final in Geneva (2022), the LGCT Grand Prix of Stockholm (2023), and the Rolex Grands Prix at the Dutch Masters (2023 and 2024).
For reference, that’s the approximate equivalent of an experienced pharmacist’s annual salary at each event. And while it’s been five years since King Edward first stepped up to the 1.60m (or higher) championship level, he hasn’t lost his edge.
In 81 starts at 1.60m, he jumps clear at 64%—a percentage that improves to 67% in 18 rounds at 1.65m. Ditto for his top 10 finishes at those heights, landing at 69% in 80 starts at 1.60m and a surreal 94% in 16 starts at 1.65m. What’s more, of those same, 16, 1.65m starts, von Eckermann and King Edward have won seven of them—nearly half the total number they’ve jumped.
Little wonder they’re the world’s richest show jumping partnership of all time. And with the highly lucrative indoor season just around the corner, you can expect their €4 million nest egg will continue to grow.
