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When James Fairclough II talks about the modern show jumping system, he explains a feeling that something fundamental has shifted in how opportunity works in the sport.
“It’s kind of watered everything down,” Fairclough said. “There’s so many horse shows, there’s so much competition, and it’s very difficult for riders to get seen by the top people in the sport.”
For Fairclough, a Grand Prix rider and trainer who grew up immersed in American show jumping, the rise of global rankings and year-round FEI competition hasn’t simply expanded opportunity. In his view, it has created a new barrier to entry that favors volume, money, and constant travel over talent, timing, and thoughtful horse development.
From being seen to chasing points
Fairclough grew up watching a sport where domestic competition mattered. Olympic-caliber riders were visible on the U.S. circuit, and aspiring professionals knew where they stood.
“When I was a kid, the FEI wasn’t really a thing. It didn’t even exist domestically,” he said. “Your Olympic riders were here in the country, always trying to get the attention of Frank or George to get on the team. You crossed paths at horse shows.”
Today, Fairclough argues, that visibility has been replaced by a points race.
“There’s so many FEI competitions now,” he said. “You have to run around like crazy trying to get your global ranking up. And until you do that, you can’t even get into the classes.”
The issue, he explains, is access. Riders must first prove themselves within the FEI system before being allowed meaningful entry into it.
“Even if I had a billionaire come to my barn tomorrow and say, ‘Jimmy, I’d love to buy you some horses,’ it would take me a year just to get a global ranking up,” Fairclough said. “Just to even play the game.”
When one great horse isn’t enough
Fairclough contrasts today’s reality with his experience riding for Candice King during the build-up to the 2010 World Equestrian Games trials. At that time, King developed horses carefully and deliberately, entering them into the trials without years of international point-chasing.
“All three of those horses would never have had a shot in today’s sport,” Fairclough believes. “They weren’t chasing around trying to get their global rankings up. She developed them slowly, she developed them correctly, and then we took our shot.”
One of those horses ultimately qualified for the U.S. team. Another went on to compete successfully at the World Equestrian Games with a different rider. “That just wouldn’t happen now,” Fairclough said.
In today’s system, he argues, having one exceptional horse is rarely enough. Riders need depth—a string capable of sustaining nonstop competition—simply to stay eligible.
The cost of chasing
That eligibility comes at a steep price. Fairclough points to the realities of showing FEI in Wellington as one example. “You’re $5,500 a week in entries,” he said. “That’s not your staff, that’s not your housing, that’s not your stall for the circuit. That’s just to show.”
For many professionals, the decision becomes unavoidable. Either chase FEI points relentlessly or focus on running a business that pays the bills. “I have to focus on my business,” Fairclough said. “I’d love to be in the ring with everybody else, but breaking into the FEI is not easy.”
Sponsorship, he notes, often depends on FEI visibility—creating a closed loop where riders need access to get support, but need support to gain access.
When everything is FEI, nothing feels special
Beyond cost and access, Fairclough believes the rankings race has diluted the sport’s sense of occasion. “There was a time when going to Devon to watch the night class was special,” he said. “Now it just feels like another class—same rider, different horse.”
With FEI competitions running nearly year-round, often in close geographic proximity, prestige has become harder to define.
“We’ve turned this into a 52-week-a-year sport,” Fairclough said. “And when everything matters, nothing really does.”
Who gets left behind
Fairclough is careful not to fault owners for wanting access to elite events and VIP experiences. “I don’t blame them,” he said. “We all want to be there.” But he questions a system that, in practice, makes it harder for American professionals to break through.
“If you sponsor someone from another country, it can be easier to access Nations Cups,” Fairclough said. “But if you’re an American rider, it’s extremely difficult to get into these shows.”
The result, he argues, is that capable domestic riders are passed over because of structural barriers. “There are plenty of riders here who could do it,” he said. “They just can’t get in.”
A narrowing path forward
Fairclough does not claim to have a simple solution, and he acknowledges why many riders stay quiet. “Everyone’s too scared,” he said. “Or they’re too exhausted to push back.”
But he worries about what happens if the system continues unchecked. “If you force everyone to chase constantly, you’re going to lose people,” Fairclough said. “And you’re going to lose horses.”
For Fairclough, the concern is about preserving possibility. “There used to be room for someone with one great horse to get their shot,” he said. “That’s what kept the dream alive.”
Today, he fears, that dream is getting harder to see. The talent isn’t gone, but the gate has moved farther away.
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