Leading rider Philip Correia came out on top in the third round of the 2023 FEI World Jumping Challenge on Saturday.

Riding his grey stallion, Junior Cardento, Correia won Category A, at which the jumps are set at a height of 1.20 to 1.30 metres, after accumulating four faults and a time of 61.42 seconds.

Tyler James aboard Cruise Control was best of the riders in Category B (jumps 1.10 to 1.20 metres) with four faults and a time of 57.74 with Category C (jumps 1.00 to 1.10 metres) won by McKeisha Smith on Da Vinci, who picked up four faults and posted an impressive time of 54.42.

The third round was the final event of the World Jumping Challenge with the riders best two performances put forward for evaluation.

Correia and James again came out on top in categories A and B respectively, with Correia posting an overall score of eight faults and a time of 107.42 and James recording eight faults and a time of 118.81.

Michael Rodrigues was the top performer in category C with an impressive zero faults and a time of 115.52.

Those three riders will also form Bermuda’s entry for the team event.

The World Jumping Challenge allows local riders the opportunity to compete internationally without having to leave their own country. Riders from ten geographical zones compete over the same jumps course from a top FEI designer.

Competing countries have until December 31, 2023, to complete their three rounds with the final overall results set to be announced in January 2024.

Judging the final phase of competition on island was Level 3 judge Cathy Harper, from Canada, and Bermuda’s Level 1 judges Heidi Shelley Mello and Pam Mahoney.