Stobart Group will sponsor the National Hunt Champion Jump Jockey title race

The 2015/16 National Hunt champion jockey will be financially rewarded for the first time, with sponsorship from Stobart Group.

Following its backing of the 2015 Flat Jockeys' Championship, won by Silvestre de Sousa, Stobart Group will mirror this by supporting the jumps contest.

A total prize fund of £65,000 has been put up by Stobart Group, Great British Racing, The Jockey Club, Arena Racing Company, Scottish Racing and Wetherby Racecourse, with prizes available for jockeys throughout the weighing room and covering the Championship period which runs from April to April.

There will also be a new Northern Jump Jockey of the Year Award and six monthly prizes for Jump Jockey of the Month.

Following consultation with the Professional Jockeys' Association and its members regarding the distribution of prize money, the top five riders in the Jumps title race will take home cash prizes, with the winner receiving £15,000. The Champion Conditional Jockey will collect £5,000.

For the first time, a £10,000 prize fund facilitated by ARC, Scottish Racing and Wetherby Racecourse will see the rider with the most number of wins at racecourses north of and including Market Rasen take home £5,000, with additional prizes for runners-up as part of the new Northern Jump Jockey of the Year Award.

Rod Street, Chief Executive of Great British Racing said: "Having launched the Stobart Flat Jockeys' Championship earlier this year, it was always our intention to provide financial rewards for the jump jockeys. They are tremendous athletes and we want to create more opportunities to promote them.

"By raising their profile and billing them as the stars of our sport, they can help us broaden racing's audience. Rewarding them for their success is part and parcel of making more of them as professional sportsmen.

"We are thrilled that Stobart Group has extended its sponsorship to include the Jumps Championship. As well as being a superb partner of horseracing and particularly the PJA, Stobart has also helped activate the Flat Championships as we've seen with the creation of the fleet of Jockey trucks and mobile jockey hub which tours the racecourses."

Current Championship leader Richard Johnson is long odds-on with Sky Bet to finally win the gong after building a commanding lead in the first few months.

He said: "When the proposal of prize money was first suggested, the jockeys agreed that this should be spread right across the weighing room, acknowledging as many as possible for their efforts throughout the season.

"It's a tough lifestyle and it's good to see that the first five in the Championship will reap rewards, as well as the Champion Conditional and it's good to see the new northern prize."

Recently retired 20-times champion jockey AP McCoy could be forgiven for feeling a little aggrieved at the new initiative, but his reaction was typical of the man.

He said: "The introduction of prize money for the Championship is a good thing for the sport. I know how hard it can be physically and mentally pushing to be Champion Jockey week in and week out.

"At the end of the day you want to be crowned Champion but the prize money on offer this season is a fitting reward for the hard work the lads will be putting in over the coming months."

Paul Struthers, Chief Executive of the Professional Jockeys' Association said: "It is good to see that Jump jockeys will, like their Flat colleagues be rewarded for their endeavours throughout the season.

"Our members were keen that the prizes be distributed throughout the Weighing Room and under the prize money breakdown there is the chance for the efforts of multiple individuals to be recognised. We also thank Stobart Group for its huge commitment to all jockeys."

The Stobart Jump Jockeys' Championship will continue to run from April to April, with this season's title race having begun at Sedgefield on April 30 2015 and concluding at Sandown Park's end-of-season finale on Saturday April 23 2016.