executive Michael Cherry after placing seventh in her first-ever overseas competition last weekend.

Smith, 16, took part in a junior international show-jumping competition, the VII Gran Copa Centro Ecuestre, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and finished in the top half of the 16-strong field despite suffering an illness midway through.

"On Friday she had the flu and didn't perform to the best of her ability in the show-jumping where she knocked down four rails.'' said Cherry.

The youngster, who has been riding for six years and has performed well in past Agricultural Exhibitions, was first among the visitors and fifth overall after the opening day on Thursday with 5.32 penalty points.

But she incurred 16 penalty points on her flu-ridden second day to fall into 10th place then felt better by Sunday to make up a few places in the final two rounds for a respectable finish.

The Bermudian, riding Pele, had 21.82 penalty points in all, just over five behind the sixth-place finisher from Puerto Rico.

"I am pleased to see that she did so well,'' added Cherry. "On the strength of this performance she has been invited back to another competition in Puerto Rico in July and Venezuela in September. But we have to wait to get the official invitation to act on it.'' The host country did well in the competition, which attracted youngsters from seven nations including Canada, United States, Guatemala, Venezuela and Panama.

Ivan Brito was perfect on Bollero II as they went through the series with no penalty points.

Pele, the horse that Bermuda's Smith rode, won a silver medal with Israel Lopez of Puerto Rico as the rider. And third place went to Ainsley Vince of Canada on Fausto.

ON THE RISE -- Mckeisha Smith pictured in action on Pele during the junior competition in Puerto Rico.