Young Bermuda rider Kelby Lusher, on her seven-year-old mare Miakoda, came out tops in Category A of the FEI World Jumping Challenge Bermuda competition held at the Vesey Street Equestrian Centre over the weekend.

Lusher and Miakoda had been the Category ?B? winners a year earlier.

Five of the best local jumping horse-rider combinations vied for the title over two days.

Saturday?s two rounds saw previous champion Catrina Sims of Spicelands emerge the leader, riding Gucci, closely followed by Nick DeCosta aboard his new horse Bajan Blue, with Lusher in third spot.

In the third round, DeCosta picked up three faults, Lusher four and Sims nine. And in the fourth and final round, both Lusher and Sims went clear while DeCosta had four faults.

That left Lusher out in front with 10 faults and a time of 109.77.

DeCosta placed second with 11 faults (121.13) and Sims third with13 (105.70).

There was disappointment for Lindsay Sousa, on Croft Little Doll, as she was eliminated in round two after a promising first round.

DeCosta on his second mount for the competition, Touch the Sky, made the decision to scratch on the second day after a fourth place finish on the first.

Competition consisted of four rounds, each containing between ten and 12 jumps with a maximum height of 1.20 metres.

The courses had been designed by FEI designated course designer Julio Orma Carrasco from Argentina.

Bermuda are competing in Group X in both Category A and B, the latter having been held earlier this month.

Meanwhile, tomorrow local riders will take part in the CEA Mini Dressage Challenge, Bermuda being the last country of four to put forward their scores.

Countries competing include Trinidad and Tobago, who scored 64.28 points, Barbados (60.75 points) and Antigua (54.413 points), all in the adult division.

Children?s country scores so far include Barbados, 63.704, and Antigua, 62.963. Both Jamaica and Cayman were unable to compete.