When the Riders Tour started in 2001, the talk was of the “Formula 1 of equestrian sport”. The concept of a series for show jumpers with a starting capital of seven million marks (3.58 million euros) and prominent stages such as the Hamburg Derby sounded appealing.
The stars of the scene were thrilled and competed for record prize money. The overall winner and thus the “Rider of the year” received half a million marks (256,000 euros). But not much has remained of the visions of the time.
The 20th edition of the tournament series by Paul Schockemöhle and six other financiers ended at the weekend in Hagen am Teutoburg Forest and immediately started the new 2022/23 season. “A great first stage and great sport,” said the 77-year-old entrepreneur and former world-class rider at the end of the weekend.
“The level isn’t what it used to be”
At least among the top riders, the enthusiasm for his series is now limited. “The level is no longer what it used to be,” said Marcus Ehning, the 2016 tour winner. “There are now also two-star tournaments.” This is the second lowest of five tournament categories of the world association FEI.
Although Ehning rode at the four-star tournament just outside Osnabrück at the weekend, his interest in the Riders Tour as a series was “zero”. Like many other world-class riders, his planning aligns with the Global Champions Tour. The competitive series of Dutchman Jan Tops, which only started in 2006, is actually reminiscent of Formula One with stages such as Miami or Monte Carlo and has long since left behind the Riders Tour.
The top riders are attracted by the prize money
“We were ahead of our time,” said Ullrich Kasselmann, Riders Tour partner from the very beginning and host of the weekend tournament in Hagen. After the turmoil of the corona pandemic, the series is now starting the new season with eight stages, and for the first time in a long time there will also be tournaments abroad.
“Together with Bemer, we have made it our mission to internationalize the tour,” Schockemöhle was quoted as saying in a statement at the end of the tournament in Hagen. Bemer is title sponsor of the series. But Ommen in the Netherlands or Lier in Belgium certainly sound more like provinces. Unlike Doha and New York, where the Global Champions Tour is a guest at its 17 tournaments.
Rather, the top riders are attracted by the prize money. At the Grand Prix of the Global Tour it is at least three times as high as on Sunday in Hagen. And at the end of the season, more than ten million euros will be paid out.
“It was wonderful for a while”
“The Riders Tour was the forerunner of the Global Champions Tour, was a very dominant series and was good for show jumping,” said tournament organizer Volker Wulff. “It was wonderful for a while and then there was a bit of a miss in strengthening the series for the future. Then the Global Champions Tour came along and passed.”
For a long time, Wulff was part of the Riders Tour with several tournaments, including the Hamburg Derby. “The Riders Tour isn’t there anymore because it doesn’t really fit anymore,” he said. “The Derby is a world-class event. The Riders Tour has gone in a different direction.” With its five-star tournaments in Hamburg and Berlin, Wulff is part of the Global Champions Tour.
However, the importance of the Riders Tour has steadily decreased. “In such a tight schedule with such attractive tournaments and series worldwide, it is a challenge for the Riders Tour to keep up,” said Dennis Peiler, sports director of the FN Riding Association. “It’s an opportunity nationally for adolescent couples who aren’t ranked that high in the world.”