RULES FOR MAJOR LEAGUE SHOW JUMPING SERIES 2025
Full Rules
MLSJ Rules & Series Format
Major League Show Jumping blends elite 5* sport with a modern league structure built around strategy, selection, and season-long points. Each tour stop features three marquee events:
Qualifier
Team Competition
Grand Prix
Results from these three events determine both the Team Championship and the Individual Championship at the Final.
The Team Series
Your guide to the format, scoring, and season-long race for the Team Championship.
MLSJ features eight co-ed franchise teams, each built with six top-ranked international riders, including one encouraged U25 athlete. Structured around a season-long points system, the Team Series blends elite talent with strategy and selection.
Across the calendar, team managers choose three riders per event to compete in the 5* Team Competition. While all riders may jump in the Qualifier and Grand Prix, team selections are tactical—based on form, chemistry, and horsepower for the venue.
The Format
At each tour stop, the Team Competition unfolds in three rounds:
Round 1
Eight teams with three riders jump a 1.50m course with the goal of surviving elimination. The top four teams with the fewest faults and fastest combined time move on to round two.
Faults (Table A):
Rail = 4 faults
Time over = 1 fault per second (or part thereof)
1 refusal = 4 faults
2 refusals, rider fall, or off-course = elimination
All three scores count toward the Round 1 total.
Round 2
It’s all about speed. Four teams return with two riders to take on a shortened course. Scored like R1, the top two teams in R2 will move on to battle for Gold, and the bottom two for Bronze.
Faults (Table A):
Rail = 4 faults
Time over = 1 fault per second (or part thereof)
1 refusal = 4 faults
2 refusals, rider fall, or off-course = elimination
Fastest combined time of two riders advances.
Round 3
It’s a head to head race for the podium where every fence down adds three seconds to their time. Each of the 4 teams will send in their fastest, final “anchor” rider to secure Gold, Silver or Bronze.
Fault Conversion (Table C):
1 rail = +3 seconds
A fast, clean anchor round is often the difference between medals.
How Teams Earn Points
Teams can score points at each leg based on their finish in the three main events: the 5* Qualifier, Team Competition, and Grand Prix.
Only the highest placed rider from each team can earn points in the Qualifier and Grand Prix—teams cannot score with multiple riders in the same class. If a team does not have a placed rider, they will not earn points in that class.
Points are awarded using a 1× multiplier for the Qualifier, a 2× multiplier for the Grand Prix, and a 3× multiplier for the Team Competition.
At the Final, points are worth double.
Fastest Track Bonus
The fastest clear jump-off round = 1 bonus point.If no rider jumps clear, the bonus is not awarded.
Weekly Team Bonus
The team scoring the most total points at each tour stop earns $50,000 USD.
The Championship Race
The Team Championship is won across the calendar. Points earned through all three 5* classes build the standings—turning podiums, jump-off decisions, and anchor performances into leverage.
With $4M in prize money allocated to the Team Competition for 2025–26 and both weekly and season-end bonuses in play, consistency across venues becomes the separating factor.
The Final sets the outcome. The highest-scoring team is crowned MLSJ Team Champion; if tied, finishing order at the Final becomes the decider.
The Individual Series
Your guide to the formats, rules, and scoring that shape the Season 5 Individual Championship race.
The MLSJ individual classes are built around precision, speed, and strategy, and every round plays a part in the battle for the season championship. To understand how riders rise through the standings, here is a clear breakdown of how the individual series works.
The Format
In the first round of both the Qualifier and the Grand Prix, riders aim to jump a clear round.Faults are assessed as follows:
Rail down = 4 faults
Each second (or portion thereof) over time = 1 time fault
1 refusal = 4 faults
2 refusals = elimination
Rider fall or off-course = elimination
The goal: jump clear to advance to the jump-off.
Advancing to the Jump-Off
Any rider who jumps clear in the first round advances to the jump-off.The jump-off is a shortened course designed to reward bold riding and tight, efficient turns. Faults still count, but the winner is determined by the fastest time after faults.
A clean, fast jump-off round is the formula for victory.
How Riders Earn Points
In MLSJ, individual points are awarded through both the Qualifier and the Grand Prix. These points feed directly into the Individual Standings, where riders compete all season long to earn the title of MLSJ Individual Champion.
This scoring system rewards consistency—from one venue to the next, across different environments, under all forms of pressure.
$8M On the Line
$6M for Grand Prix$2M for Qualifier
With points on the line at every leg, riders must deliver across all three key classes to stay in the hunt. One big result can shift momentum, but staying near the top week after week is what crowns a champion.
Every clear round, every second saved, and every split decision made in the ring contributes to the season’s narrative. At the end of the year, the rider who has accumulated the most points earns the title of Individual Champion, securing their place at the top of the league.
