Bermuda could have a three-person show jumping team competing at the Pan-Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico next year.

While the Island's two main professional show jumpers, Jill Terceira and Patrick Nesbitt, are the best known Bermuda riders competing on the European circuit, there is also young up and coming show jumper Raishun Burch who is based in Cologne, Germany.

"I can't think of any reason why we shouldn't have a team for the next Pan-Am Games," said Burch from his German base where he has been for two years.

"There are three of us who can make a team – Patrick (Nesbitt), Jill (Terceira) and myself. There may be others who could also do it – Kyle Hassell I know is in England but there are only three of us who are full-time professionals and have that competition experience. If you are just riding in Bermuda it is not possible (to make the grade for the Pan-Am Games).

"I would like to go to the Pan-Am Games and I am sure Patrick and Jill would also. Jill has a lot of experience – she has been doing this full time for a long time now. I was with her last week at a show in Belgium."

Terceira is now taking a break to have a baby but she expects to be competing again not long after the baby is born.

As for Nesbitt, he has been a mentor for Burch since he first went to England six years' ago and trained under him.

Earlier this year Burch and Nesbitt were in Spain on the Sunshine Tour which opens up the outdoor season early for riders based in Europe.

"I was training and competing with Patrick in Spain," he said.

"I speak with him almost every day. He is like my manager as it were. A lot of the time we work on the same schedule and I will go to some of the same shows as him this summer. He helps me for the most part – he helps me with everything – not just training but also managing my horses."

Nesbitt recently moved his horses from England to Germany.

"His horses are near Munich – about three hours drive from Cologne," said Burch.

And while Burch is doing the sport he loves, he also said that it "is my job" and as such has certain priorities to his clients.

"This is what I do," he said. "I am a professional rider. I do it for sport, of course, but I do it also to make money. These people (owners) want to sell horses and if they want to sell the horses I have to go (compete) and do well."

While he recently started the outdoor season, Burch said that competing was "non stop".

"It is all year round. The indoor season starts in October and finishes at the end of March and then it is the outdoor season."

He works for three clients but is slowly changing his schedule around so he can ride more for himself.

"I am trying to sort of change around the way I do things so I can ride on the team (for Bermuda). For last two years I have just been working for other people but for the last six months I have started doing things slowly – separately doing things on own."

One thing he is waiting for is his 21st birthday this year.

Right now he cannot get a licence to drive a horse truck in Germany.

"I can't drive the lorry. I am only 20 years old so I can't drive myself anywhere – you have to be 21. I plan on taking my licence (driving test) this year. Right now I have to have someone else drive when I go to shows – usually the boss has someone to take me."

And he competes all over Europe.

"I have had shows in Germany, Holland, France Hungary, Romania and Belgium. I work for three clients now – I can't really have more since I can't drive a truck.

"But the work is constant and I try and schedule the shows for the horses. They are like human athletes – they have highs and lows. They ride the waves. For instance Patrick has the World Equestrian Games coming up this year (in Kentucky). He will compete and get his horses to a high and then they will go down and then he will try and have them come back on a high for the World Games."

Burch started riding when he was six years old at Spicelands.

He successfully competed in local shows on a number of mounts and in the summer of 2003 travelled to southern France for three weeks on exchange training with Sebiastian Ardon.

The next year he travelled to England to train with Nesbitt for the summer competing on the local circuit jumping.

In 2005 he moved to England to attend St. Bedes School and began training with Judi Piper.