June 30, 2026 
The Premier Jumping League, the upstart show jumping league flush with $300 million in prize money guaranteed over its first three years, has its first team—sold for a cool $50 million.
For those of you not in the know, the PJL, founded by former Global Champions Tour co-owner Frank McCourt, is the proposed answer to the challenges of a sport that struggles with both visibility and structure. Is show jumping ready to move from an obscure, niche sport to one that can command greater audiences, more sponsorship, and packs of rabid fans?
As a rabid fan myself, I say yes.
The PJL is not interested in making small moves either—their solution is a sweeping project that aims to bring show jumping out of the shadows and into the living rooms of equestrians and non-equestrians alike.
And that’s a big ask. How do you take all the various shows, all the different competitive formats (Nations Cup, GCL, MLSJ, World Cup, Longines League of Nations, etc) and make sense of it? Where do the stakes lie when competition is so confusing and spread out? How do you grow a sport when the sponsorship dollars, usually coming from just a few brands or insider players, seem limited or disappearing? And this while the price of competing continues to make the sport less and less accessible?
The PJL wants show jumping to take its place alongside premier global sports. Sixteen teams competing across 14 established global venues with a starting date of April 2027—less than a year from now!
But there’s more questions than answers at this stage. Who exactly will be on the teams? We don’t know. Where will these events take place? Also unclear. Format of the competition? TBD. What we do know is that the first team has been sold and the buyer? Race car driver, trader, and investor Jason McCarthy, whose wife and daughter have the love of horses in their blood.
McCarthy said, on behalf of his family and investing group: “We believe strongly in the PJL’s vision—a league committed to the highest ethical standards, meritocracy, and elite competition, underpinned by a sustainable commercial model that attracts the world’s best riders and delivers fan experiences on par with the greatest global sporting competitions.
“We see enormous potential for the sport to grow its global audience while remaining true to the values that make it so special. We are confident the PJL will help realize that potential and drive meaningful growth for the sport we have come to love.”
The sport we have come to love! We’ll take it.
There is still much to learn about the sport the PJL will bring us, and the answers, we’re told, are coming soon. Box to Box Films, the company behind the lauded F1 series Drive to Survive, is already documenting the series.
And don’t worry, dedicated readers, OF COURSE this horse owner, former league team owner, breeder, philanthropist, fan, journalist, photographer, influencer (I would continue, but I’ve got word count restrictions) is throwing her hat in the ring as a potential team manager. Does anyone have Jason McCarthy’s number?
