Equestrian has been an Olympic sport since 1900 and remains the only one in which men and women compete as equals.
It also remains the only Olympic sport in which athletes rely on a non-human teammate: a horse.
The Competition
Show jumping tests a rider’s precision, accuracy and responsiveness; a horse’s athleticism and adjustability; and, most importantly, the partnership between rider and horse. The object of show jumping is sport is to complete a set course of fences within a set amount of time and with the lowest amount of faults possible.
Faults are accumulated for exceeding a set time allowed to complete the course and lowering the height of the fences, among other penalties. If a horse and rider complete the course without incurring any faults, it is called a “clear round.” Ties are broken with a jump-off, in which speed is the deciding factor.
The pinnacle for any jumping athlete is to represent their country on teams. This happens in regional and global championships like the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pan American Games as well as in Nations Cup, the sport’s most historic team competition. In this format, scores from each horse and rider combination on a team are tallied for a total team score.
The Financial Burden
Modern showjumping is extremely expensive, with many Olympic caliber horses costing millions of dollars—and that’s just the beginning. Equine management and care is also incredibly expensive, from boarding costs to feed, hoof and veterinary care, entry fees, travel expenses, and more. The financial burden is too great for many young professional riders. That’s where Road to the Top (RTTT) comes in. RTTT seeks to bridge the gap for talented American athletes between being a young professional and reaching the top levels of the sport.
Road to the Top aspires to identify, train, and support talented young American riders who have the ability and ambition to ascend to the highest levels of showjumping. We mitigate the boundary of wealth, providing riders with education and opportunity to vie for international caliber events on U.S. equestrian teams. We’re building the American show jumping teams of the future.
A Rich & Successful History: Team USA in Show Jumping
Olympic Games
5 Gold Medals
11 Silver Medals
4 Bronze Medals
World Championships
2 Gold Medals
5 Silver Medals
6 Bronze Medals
Pan American Games
14 Gold Medals
9 Silver Medals
11 Bronze Medals
12 World Cup Champions
“The young struggling professional trying to get to the top is going to need some help, and that’s what I’d like to do. I’d like to get them things they can’t get on their own.”