Show Jumping’s Richest Riders: Who Won What in 2016

With a non-stop schedule of top class competitions and record-setting prize money offerings, international show jumpers had a shot at more money in 2016 than ever before. The ten, highest-earning riders earned a combined $13 million last year in prize money, with Great Britain’s Scott Brash topping the list with an impressive $1.8 million. In comparison, the highest-earning dressage rider won just €215,027.

Brash made history in 2016 when he brought home $1 million in prize money after winning Spruce Meadow’s $3 Million CN International Grand Prix. With the sport’s biggest ever prize check in his bag and consistent results throughout the season, the humble rider’s earnings proved impossible to match.

The 2nd highest earner of the year was the USA’s Mclain Ward, who collected a total of $1.6 million. While Ward fell a few hundred thousand dollars short of Brash’s earnings, the American rider competed far less than his British counterpart. Brash competed at 42, FEI CSI-rated competitions during the year and Ward attended just 30. Looking at average earnings per show, Ward tops the list, averaging $54,063 per competition he entered. In spite of having the lightest schedule, Ward picked up more wins than any of the top riders.

The rider with the busiest schedule was American rider, Kent Farrington, who finished 6th overall in the earnings with $1.2 million. Farrington’s packed schedule of 48 shows did not come without reward–he picked up eight major wins, a record matched only by German rider, Christian Ahlmann.

Two Stephex Stables riders also held prominent places on the list, each piloting over 20 mounts throughout the season. Germany’s Daniel Deusser brought home the 4th highest earnings of $1.3 million while Italy’s Lorenzo De Luca, who was voted the 2016 NF Breakout Rider of the Year, finished 10th with just over a million dollars.

See a complete breakdown of 2016’s Top 10 Earning Riders below:

Top 20 Overall Earners:

11. Ludger Beerbaum (Germany) $850,353

12. Bertram Allen (Ireland) $830,501

13. Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (Sweden) $803,713

14. Roger-Yves Bost (France) $736,112

15. Harrie Smolders (Netherlands) $714,398

16. Olivier Philippaerts (Belgium) $693,246

17. Edwina Tops-Alexander (Australia) $684,558

18. Jessica Springsteen (United States) $682,550

19. Steve Guerdat (Switzerland) $663,947

20. Grégory Wathelet (Belgium) $643,322

*Total earnings amounts courtesy of Hippomundo. GP wins include FEI ranked, CSI-rated Grands Prix as well as FEI World Cup Grands Prix.