A Bermudian equestrian remains under restrictions in professional show jumping in the United States after his conviction six months ago for burglary.

Ki-Juan Minors, 44, pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony charge of burglary of a structure or conveyance, in Palm Beach County Court, Florida, in April, and was given three years’ probation.

He was also sentenced to three days in the Palm Beach County Jail, with credit for time served, and fined $618.

A further charge of sexual battery of a victim aged 18 or older was dropped.

Minors, who is also a musician, was ordered to enrol in and complete a psychosexual evaluation and any recommended treatment within 30 days of his plea.

Notes on a circuit court document added that a previously completed evaluation would be accepted.

His arrest last year prompted the US Centre for SafeSport to issue temporary restrictions against him in December, including a limitation on participating and no unsupervised coaching/training.

He declined to comment yesterday, but his lawyer, Steven Bell, told The Royal Gazette: “He’s actually able to compete at any time with a member of USEF [United States Equestrian Federation] as a chaperon.”

A SafeSport spokeswoman said in a statement this week: “SafeSport does not comment on specific cases to maintain the integrity of the investigative process.

“The only publicly available information is that which can be found on SafeSport’s centralised disciplinary database.

“The SafeSport database includes adults who are subject to temporary restrictions or sanctions. So, any actions listed on the database are in place.”

Quoting the SafeSport Code, she added: “SafeSport may put temporary measures in place at any time while an investigation is ongoing if SafeSport believes the individual’s ‘continued participation in the sport could be detrimental to the best interest of sport and those who participate in it’.”

Minors previously represented Bermuda at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Colombia, but had to retire from the competition before finishing after his horse fell ill.

He won first prize in the young jumper class with his horse, Jacaarta, at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, in January last year.

A night out in Miami on March 17, 2025 led to his arrest on August 26 that year, according to a police report.

Detectives were told by a man that he went to a nightclub with Minors and others.

He claimed the horse rider bought shots for the group, but gave him a different-coloured shot, which he thought was whiskey.

He told police he lost consciousness after having a couple more alcoholic drinks.

The man said Minors and another friend came back to his home in Wellington, Florida. He alleged that he woke the next morning to find Minors performing a sex act on him, before pushing him off.

The police report detailed the text and Snapchat messages the pair later exchanged, with Minors apologising and stating he wished he “never took that pill”.

In one message, Minors asked the man why someone was contacting his wife, and the man replied he thought she should know what he did.

Minors was ordered by the court to have no contact with the man or the man’s girlfriend, who also gave evidence in the case.

Mr Bell said: “He pleaded guilty to entering or remaining in a structure or conveyance. He wasn’t convicted of sexual battery or of touching anyone inappropriately.

“Yes, he was convicted of the burglary but the state agreed to drop the sexual battery count altogether.”

Horse Networkreported on the matter in May, quoting a spokesman for the Office of State Attorney as saying the decision to reduce the sexual battery charge to third-degree burglary was “made after a thorough and careful review by experienced prosecutors”.

He added: “Several factors can affect the outcome of a case and the sentence imposed, including the strength of the evidence, victim/witness co-operation, prior criminal history and legal limitations set by statute or sentencing guidelines.”

The Horse Network article said if the SafeSport restrictions were lifted, the criminal conviction was unlikely to affect Minors’s ability to compete or train at USEF-sanctioned events.

Carla Stempel, president of the Bermuda Equestrian Federation, declined to comment for this article.

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