The top earners in the jumping world: Who won the most prize money?

Among the current international showjumpers, there are several big names that earn substantial prize money. But who are the top earners in this elite group? Let's take a closer look at the most successful riders of the moment.

Christian Kukuk

German rider Christian Kukuk tops the list of highest-earning showjumpers. Over the past year, he has achieved exceptional results with horses like Checker 47 (Comme il faut x Come On | Westf), Just Be Gentle (Tyson x Ticallux Verte | KWPN), and Mumbai (Diamant de Semilly x Nabab de Reve | BWP). His horse Checker 47 was particularly dominant, bringing in €1,761,006, which represents 79% of Kukuk’s total earnings. In total, Kukuk won €2,228,904 in international competitions with 12 horses. He finished in the top ranks in 38.8% of the competitions and secured a win in 4.8% of them.

Henrik von Eckermann

Ranking second is Swedish rider Henrik von Eckermann, who earned €2,078,588 over the past year. A significant portion of this came from his top horse King Edward (Edward 28 x Feo | BWP), which alone earned €1,160,854, making up 56% of his total income. Other talented horses under his care include Glamour Girl (VDL Zirocco Blue N.O.P. x Caletto I | KWPN) and Iliana (VDL Cardento x Gentleman | KWPN). Von Eckermann managed to place in 49.4% of his international competitions and won 10.1% of them.

Martin Fuchs

Swiss rider Martin Fuchs completes the top three, having earned €1,853,226 with 11 horses in the last 365 days. Much of his success can be attributed to Leone Jei (Baltic VDL x VDL Corland | KWPN), which contributed €1,320,724 to his total prize money. Fuchs placed in 41.3% of his competitions and secured victories in 9.7% of them.

Further down the list are well-known names such as Ben Maher, who earned €1,831,936, Max Kühner with €1,729,107, and Richard Vogel with €1,704,489.

Curious about the full list? Check out the top 20 here.