Jump Off is an exciting new reality television format where five teams compete for $100,000 in prize money. Hosted by Hamish McLachlan and produced by Showmakers Equestrian, the series features off the track race horses and promotes the lifetime care of thoroughbreds.
The highly anticipated series which marries the sport of horse racing and show jumping will be broadcast on Seven Network on Sunday afternoons from 30 September at 2pm. Replays of Jump Off will air on Racing.com (Ch 78) three times a week – Monday evening at 6:30pm, Saturday at 8:30pm and Sunday mornings at 8:30am.
Jump Off features a line-up of Australia's best racehorse trainers and each
trainer is paired with an Olympic or champion show jumping rider. Broadcast
over the duration of the popular Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, Jump Off
includes some of the biggest names in racing with David Hayes of the Lindsay
Park powerhouse, Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Darren Weir, multiple Group 1-
winning trainer Mick Price, former jockey turned trainer Patrick Payne, and
Godolphin Australia's Head Trainer – James Cummings.Jump Off's show jumping riders include equestrian legend and three-time Olympian Vicki Roycroft, current Australian Show Jumping Champion and WEG competitor Jamie Kermond, Olympians Peter McMahon and Russell Johnstone and former Australian Show Jumping Champion and coach, David Cameron. Between them these formidable riders have won six Australian Show Jumping Championship titles, represented Australia at five OIympic Games and frequently campaign on the international circuit. They are the best of the best.
TEAM JOHNSTONE / HAYES
Russell Johnstone and David Hayes
'At Lindsay Park we normally sell our horses with racing left in them. But then you'll get the occasional old veteran that goes right through. If they can go to show jumping homes you know they are going to be wonderfully cared for.' – David Hayes
'With the continued popularity of show jumping in both Europe and the United States, and the participation of more Australian riders overseas, the interest in Australian show jumping is on the rise.' – Russell Johnstone, Olympian
" The Jump Off series featuring Australia's best racehorse trainers and Olympic show jumpers opens the sport to a whole new audience of racing enthusiasts, the equestrian world and the broader Australian public.' – Russell Johnstone, Olympian
TEAM KERMOND / PAYNE
Jamie Kermond and Patrick Payne
'I know nothing about show jumping but Jamie will be able to teach us about things like changing leads and it's quite different. We ride the horses short and command by our hand whereas they command more with their leg.' – Patrick Payne
'There are so many different things that I've learnt from Patrick through my whole career. He's obviously done so well as a jockey and now being a trainer. Being his younger sister, I always looked up to him and took on board any advice he had to give me regardless of whether it was said in the kindest manner or not! I really appreciate everything he's taught me along the way. He's got a really different outlook on how to train horses from other trainers.' – Michelle Payne
'My favourite is Peacefuleasyfeelin because I know him well, I have done a little work on him and he's got the greatest attitude you can get – very kind but also very giving so he's definitely my pick.' – Michelle Payne
'I'm really excited to be working with Paddy Payne. When I was growing up in Warrnambool, the Payne name was famous and now the years have gone on and Michelle has won a Melbourne Cup, the Payne name is famous around the world. For me to be able to be involved with them is amazing.' – Jamie Kermond
'I've had a lot of experience riding race horses since I was twelve-years old. I've had not only Stylish King but a lot of other horses off the track that I've turned into good show jumpers and then sold on at different stages of their career. They've gone on and been very successful in our sport. I really believe if we get the right horses, I'm capable of training them up really quickly to be very competitive.' – Jamie Kermond
TEAM ROYCROFT / CUMMINGS
Vicki Roycroft and James Cummings
'We like to believe that after racing and even during racing that horses deserve a really good life. This is great that they've got something to look forward to after we've said goodbye to them.' – James Cummings
'My horse Apache was a thoroughbred – my best ever. I bought him as a $500 off the tracker, he was in the top ten in the world cup final in Paris and then our first outdoor show was the Rome five star and he won that.' – Vicki Roycroft
'This concept of Jump Off is fantastic, it's really going to showcase our sport which is what it needs. The other aspect is that It's great for the thoroughbred. Thoroughbreds still have their place. They're bred to be sport horses and, for our discipline, they can really do a good job but you've got to find them.' – Vicki Roycroft
TEAM McMAHON / WEIR
Peter McMahon and Darren Weir
'We certainly like horses to have a life after racing. If we retire a horse here, we have what we call 'the sack paddock' for horses that have retired and they can stay there for as long as it takes to find them a home and we think that's really important because we love horses to have a life after racing.' – Darren Weir
'The one we're really keen about is Gotta Take Care. He was a champion jumper there for two or three years in a row – champion hurdler. He was a great horse for our stable, he ended up winning over twenty races, over a million dollars in prize money. He won every good hurdle race you can win.' – Darren Weir .
'In show jumping itself, once you get that good horse, you're always addicted, you're always looking for your next good horse.' Peter McMahon
'Dealing with these horses everyday, especially thoroughbreds, they've got a lot of blood and you just know how to work with them and what you're dealing with. – Peter McMahon .
'I base my selections on what I would like to take home and jump. It might not necessarily be the successful racing horse but ones that do give me that good feeling. To team up with Darren Weir and know his success rate on the track – he doesn't just do flat racing he also puts horses over the jump which might be a bit of an advantage for us.' – Peter McMahon
'Having $100,000 up for grabs in show jumping for thoroughbreds is amazing. It's not heard of in Australia. It's going to be great.' – Peter McMahon
TEAM CAMERON PRICE
David Cameron and Mick Price
'Jump Off is fantastic. It's a confirmation of the commitment from Racing Victoria to the rehoming of off the track thoroughbreds.' – Mick Price
'You've never seen people look after their horses better than in equestrian. From what I've seen people in show jumping or showing or eventing or any other horse discipline like Pony Club – 99% of those people are absolutely fantastic and the horses become true pets. And if you have a true pet then you really love it and you look after it.' – Mick Price
'The big difference with this competition is that we've got a time factor. We've got to have our horses ready in a short period of time and sometimes thoroughbreds might need a little bit of time to adjust from being race horses to performance horses' –
David Cameron
'The public will get to see the excitement of jumping events – the speed, the finesse and that in itself is something that should be on television.' – David Cameron
'I'm very fortunate with Mick being my trainer and Caroline, his wife, has a great interest in show jumping and that's going to help.' – David Cameron
The series culminates in a spectacular indoor show jumping competition in front of a live audience at Boneo Park Equestrian Centre in Victoria. The stakes are high with the five teams competing for $100,000 – the richest Australian show jumping class in recent history.
Jump Off is an original concept created by Steve Dundon, Executive Producer of Showmakers Equestrian. Dundon, a TV industry veteran with over 25 years' experience, and also a keen show jumper, saw an opportunity to raise the profile of equestrian sport in Australia. 'There is no equestrian content on television in Australia. It's very popular overseas and there is an opportunity to showcase the sport to a broader market. Show jumping is very easy for the public to understand – you either knock a rail or you have time faults' says Dundon.
Equestrian sport is already very popular in the United States and Europe and many Australian riders head overseas to compete at the elite level. They do this because there is decent prize money. Dundon believes 'the only way we will attract bigger sponsorship, and therefore bigger prize money, is by producing quality equestrian content.
The Jump Off series was created to promote equine welfare and the versatility of thoroughbreds.
'Not every horse can win a Melbourne Cup' says Dundon. 'We wanted to focus on those horses that don't win including their life after racing and show that many of these horses can have a second career in equestrian disciplines'.
Showmakers Equestrian have been successful in attracting key support from the racing industry with Racing Victoria and RV's Off the Track program signing on as Major Partners of the series. Other sponsors include Bates Saddles, Horseware, Barastoc, Coprice, Pryde's EasiFeed, Horsepower, National Horse Transport, Willinga Park, Boneo Park and Horizon Show Jumps.
In addition to Jump Off, the Showmakers Equestrian team have also recently produced three one-hour specials for Willinga Park which will be broadcast on television later this year. These are Dressage by the Sea, Tokyo Dream – an eventing special and Outback Cowboys – a campdrafting special.
