KI Minors was the toast of the town last Sunday at the National Equestrian Centre at Vesey Street when he took on the professionals ? and beat them during the Bermuda Horse and Pony Association's GP Heslop Open Invitational Jumper.

And while 22-year-old Minors was pleased with his ride, what really made him happy was the performance put on by his new horse Lyric.

"There was no way I was expecting to win ? I just wanted to go clear," said Minors this week.

Minors was up against visiting Bermuda pros Rayman Butterfield on Kenjolie and Patrick Nisbett on Capricco along with world-renown US pro show jumper Molly Ashe who was riding one of Nick DeCosta's horses, Lightly Frosted. Fellow top local show jumpers, Catrina Adcock on Gucci, and Nick DeCosta on Touch The Sky, also competed.

"We had a good ride ? went double clear. Let me tell you, I am very psyched about her," Minors said of the new mare Lyric who arrived in Bermuda from Holland on October 7.

"She is a Dutch Warmblood and stands 17 hands ? so she is big, especially for a mare," said Minors adding, "and she is only six-years-old so she is still very young."

Minors said he found the mare on very reputable equestrian website. "The gentleman showed me over 100 horses on video and she really stood out. She definitely performed more than my expectations last weekend. I didn't really expect to do as well as I did. I told everyone I just wanted clear rounds ? I wanted to go out there and then get better and better once we got used to each other. But to come out and win like that was definitely a shock to me."

Minors has been riding since a very young age. "I started when I was about four years old ? just riding around the barn with my grandfather in St. George's. Then later on I started taking lessons ? I have ridden at Spicelands, Hinson Hall, Terceira's and now I am back at Inwood."

He regularly competes against Adcock and DeCosta at local shows and at the Open Invitational he also beat friend Rayman Butterfield who is competing regularly in Canada now. "Ray and I came up together ? we went to the same high school, Warwick Academy," he said. He also beat Nisbett who had come to Bermuda a few weeks ago to conduct over 60 clinics for local riders. Nisbett is based in England now and Minors said: "I have had three clinics with Patrick since he has been here. He is a great teacher. He has been coaching me for years."

Minors also took advantage of the fact that Ashe was in Bermuda and took a couple of clinics with the visiting American pro. "She is awesome. I had a good talk with her and had two very good clinics."

Minors, like a number of riders in Bermuda, said he would love to compete abroad more often. "I would love to ride abroad but the main thing which holds me and others back is the lack of funding. It is not like it is just myself going away to compete in a (running) race or something ? there is a lot of expense to take a horse abroad ? it makes it very difficult."

He has, however, competed in Jamaica and a year ago he, along with Catrina Adcock, Claire Howard, Michael Rodrigues and Lindsey Sousa, competed at a show in England. The trip was arranged by Nisbett who also found horses for them. Minors said: "I would love to do something like that again. And riding borrowed horses makes you a better rider. It forces you to adapt very quickly. You get on and then it is time to go!"

Minors said that the more Bermuda can compete in events like the Caribbean Junior Jumping Competition, the better the riders will become.

"The CEA Junior Jumper series wasn't around when I was at that age. But it is really good. I wish they had it when I was younger," he said.