Bermuda’s Paget Rytter claimed the overall Division Championship and first place in the 2026 WEC $500 Novice Junior Jumper Classic (0.95m) at the WEC Ocala Winter Spectacular in Ocala, Florida.

Competing for the first time in show jumping having trained exclusively as a hunter/equitation rider, Rytter came top of 25 entries in the class on 16-year-old mare Cequitta WZ (nicknamed Chica), owned by Nicole Asper. The combination also placed third of 20 in the 2026 WEC $150 Novice Junior Jumper (0.90m) earlier in the week.

Rytter, 16, was prepared for the competition by Bermudian Grand Prix rider Raishun Burch, Addison Reed of Caribbean Equestrian Academy and Kirista Rabain of KR Equestrian.

While in Ocala, Rytter had the additional opportunity to work with US Olympic gold medal-winner Will Simpson, an experience made possible through Caribbean Equestrian Academy and KR Equestrian.

A former student at Bermuda High School, Rytter currently attends the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, where she competes in equitation for the Fox Crossing Equestrian Varsity High School IEA team.

As 2026 began, she earned qualification as a Connecticut Regional qualifier in both Varsity Intermediate Fences and Varsity Intermediate Flat, and was selected as a Point Rider for her team.

The young rider will continue her international competitive season in the Grand Caraïbe in Guadeloupe in May