TOP US show jumper, Molly Ashe, arrives in Bermuda today for the BHPA show on Sunday which will see her go up against two Bermudian international show jumpers ? Patrick Nisbett who is based now in England and Rayman Butterfield who is based in Canada.

Course designer for the show, Heidi Mello, said that while there will be the regular jumping classes at the show at Vesey Street, the BHPA also decided to have a special event in honour of Dr. Paddy Heslop who has given decades of service to the equestrian community in Bermuda.

So the BHPA decided to invite Grand Prix rider Ashe to Bermuda to compete against Nisbett and Butterfield.

Nisbett flew into Bermuda a couple of weeks ago conduct show jumping clinics while Butterfield is flying in from Canada. "All three of them should really put on a show," said Mello adding that the Open Invitational will start at 2.30 p.m.

Ashe joined the Grand Prix tour in the late 1990s and in 1999 she captured her first major title at the $50,000 Lake Placid Grand Prix by posting the only clear first round score with Rosewood Glen's Resolute.

In 2000, Ashe earned a spot on the US Equestrian Team's Developing Riders Tour that spent July and August competing in Europe. While there, she made a name for herself with the victory in the Banco Herrero Grand Prix in Gijon, Spain. Aboard Kroon Gravin, Ashe jumped two clear rounds and topped 39 others for her first major international win.

Following the Grand Prix, Ashe was named Leading Grand Prix Rider for the two weeks of competition at Gijon. In the first week's Grand Prix she placed second to former World Champion Eric Navet of France. In November 2000, Ashe was named United States Equestrian Team Athlete of the Month following her victories at the Eternit Grand Prix of Germany in Berlin, and the Audi Grand Prix of Maastricht in Holland.

Riding Kroon Gravin, Ashe posted two clear rounds and the fastest jump-off time of 36.25 seconds at the Eternit Grand Prix. She continued her winning streak at the Audi Grand Prix and again posted two clear rounds and the fastest jump-off time of 38.22 seconds. Ashe was a 2000 USET Developing Rider grant recipient and posted double clear rounds in the Samsung Nations' Cup World Final helping the USET to a second place finish behind Germany. She also won a speed class at the World Cup final.

Ashe and Kroon Gravin continued their winning streak into 2001 by winning the $75,000 Tampa Grand Prix World Cup qualifier in March.

One week later they captured first place in the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational, followed by an eighth place in the overall standings of the World Cup finals in Goteborg, Sweden. Upon their return to the US, Ashe and Kroon Gravin proved victorious in the prestigious $50,000 Grand Prix of Devon. In 2002 Ashe and Kroon Gravin won the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational for the second consecutive year, and then went on to be the overall winner of the 2002 World Equestrian Games USET Selection Trials.

Ashe forged another partnership with Jane F Clark's Lutopia during the 2002 season, and went on to win both $25,000 Grand Prix events in Lexington, Kentucky.