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“With all the money that is circulating in our sport, why are the competitions still so largely paid for by the participants?” Noora Pentti asks. “In my opinion, the cost structure is getting completely out of hand.”

“It is great that we have series like the Global Champions League and Tour,” Noora continues. “However, the money involved is not real money as in tennis, which I think is a good individual sport to compare with. In tennis, the participants do not have to bear the cost for the prize money. They also don’t have a continuous increase of different fees like we have. At some point, we will reach a limit.”

Noora, 45, who retired from international competition in 2023, was appointed as the chef d’equipe to Finland’s jumping youth last August. In her new role, she hopes to help shape the future of showjumping.

“If we don't focus more on the grassroot level, our sport will wither away,” she points out. “I'm afraid that the downhill slope we are already on with international sport will both accelerate and steepen. It is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve the absolute top-level, especially if we are talking about a country like Finland. Getting into competitions without sufficient ranking points and having the right horsepower is very difficult. Additionally, the flying back and forth logistics between continents that some of the top riders can maintain, is economically possible for very few.”

“Without international top sport, we don't have a credible sport,” Noora points out. “I think there should be less five-star shows and their prestige should be clear. There can't be several five-star shows on the same weekend; it's the same as not having Wimbledon and the Australian Open running at the same time. We should have certain highlights in the calendar. This would also save our horses, and we would get more visibility for those shows.”

“From the outside, and for the general public, it's hard to understand the difference between the star-levels, it’s too competition-specific,” Noora continues. “If you go to America, the two-star Grand Prix in Wellington can be like a nice youth or up-and-coming rider competition, whereas in Belgium or The Netherlands it is something completely different. I think in sports you should only use facts and data. Currently, only the people in the sport understand what is happening, and the concepts don’t really open to anyone else.”

“In principle, the lower star levels are still the entry level for our sport,” Noora explains. “A one-star class should be a one-star star class. I think there should be a tiered system that you can't just jump from level y to level x. These days, even in the two-star classes, the competition can be really tough. In many places in Central Europe, the two- and three-star Grand Prix classes are, first of all, full of world-class horses and riders, and second of all, built very challenging. If you look at how the level of competition has improved, there are many riders at lower star-levels who judging by their skills, could jump five-star – they just don’t have the horses and other resources for it.”

“Especially from wealthy countries, you see riders at five-star level with shortcomings in their basic riding skills,” Noora continues. “It would not be possible in any other sport to compete at the top level without a competent skill set. For our sport to be taken seriously, it must be understandable. I would never get into a women’s top tennis tournament simply because I can hold a racket. Our five-star competitions should be sacred, and all the riders at those events should be the absolute top, so that the audience can trust that they are watching the best in the world.”

“Another issue is the logistics of flying our horses left and right. I see that in the modern world, it will end at some point. We should be careful that we don't get into a situation where we have outsourced our best shows outside of Europe, which seems to be the trend.”

“You should measure your own level internationally, so that you have a realistic view about where you are,” Noora explains about the pathway she believes in for youth riders. “When I first went abroad, I had won the youth indoor championship in Finland and had medals from the Finnish championships and I thought I was doing really well. At my first show in the Netherlands, I was on the third page of the results list. It is hard to explain this difference in the level of competition to parents who have never competed. Having results in Finland – or in any other small equestrian country – is not the same thing as competing successfully globally. That's why we encourage our riders to go compete internationally as much as they can.”

“Unfortunately, not many youth riders can have a big number of horses available, and therefore it is essential to have the right kind of horse for each moment. Learning requires repetition and mistakes. However, it also means that when you’re still learning, you need a horse that tolerates rider mistakes, one that is not too careful and reactive. The horse that is needed in top sports is unfortunately often too much for a young rider – and it's quite important to understand this. Of course, someone might think that with a really high-quality horse you learn sensitivity and learn to ride – and that's true. However, I think you can best learn good basic riding and get that hugely needed track routine when you have a horse that suits your current skills. Even the top riders need to compete every weekend to stay in the pace of top sport, because it's so hard these days.”

“This is a completely new role, where children, juniors and young riders have all been united in one U25 group,” Noora tells about her current role as the national youth coach in Finland. “When I was asked for the role, I said I don't believe in the traditional national team model anymore, where you camp the team together every now and then. Today, our best age group riders are almost all abroad, and in principle, these are riders who should have their coaching in order. I don't feel that bringing them together to jump serves what is needed. I see that the youth today need more administrative support, help in planning the season and in preparing for the competitions. As coaches, we should help them create a system that supports their dreams – and these young people often have quite big goals.”

“In a small country like ours, I feel changes could be made faster,” Noora tells about her approach. “First of all, we should get youth sport back to life. It has completely disappeared, and it's hard for me to explain why an eleven-year-old and a 45-year-old are competing against each other. I would like the youth to have their own competitions, categorically for under-14s and then under-18s. In my opinion, there should be easy, one-day competitions that wouldn't be such a burden for the parents financially and geographically. We should get much higher quality activities in all areas so that we would get people to compete and get those much needed repetitions for the riders.”

“Our current system doesn't push people to compete in bigger classes, and the skill level of our riders doesn't improve – and that's a bigger problem. Another issue we have is course building, which is not systematic. It doesn't lead to educating horses and riding forward, and we have small indoors, bad surfaces and mediocre outdoor arenas. It is a bigger systemic problem. It has always been a problem in Finland that the few top riders we have, leave. There is no chance of acting as a professional, when we lack role models of professional riding and management,” Noora concludes. “Sweden is a good example of a similar country that has a wide range of professionals abroad, but also knowledgeable people at home guiding the next generations.”

25.3.2026 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.