Twelve local equestrians, including defending champion Bianca Fedele, will contest the annual FEI adult showjumping challenge at the Kingston Polo Club, Caymanas Estates, from today until Sunday.

The three-day contest gets under way this morning at 10:00 with two rounds of jumping. This will continue with the final two rounds on Saturday morning, while Sunday will see the final of the low, medium and high league.

Going into Sunday's final round, Gaby Ralston is the leader in the low league, Adam Lake in the medium and Justin Vaz in the high league accumulation of points. According to national coach Betty Wates, the FEI Challenge is a wide open affair among the very best in showjumping.

Inspired by albert

"With Samantha Albert having done us proud in the Olympics, the local riders are inspired by this and are going to put on a real show.

"They see Samantha as a role model, and one of the younger riders was so inspired by her historic entry into the Olympics that he told me his goal was to make it to a future Olympics as well," disclosed Wates.

In addition to Fedele, the riders on show in the FEI are former top junior Justin Vaz, one-time leading rider Julian Hyde, Gaby Ralston, Rachel Heffes, Lakief Leslie, Stephanie Stewart, Emma Creighton, Nabila Khouri, Andrea Maffassanti, Maelle Johnstone and the veteran Susan Wates.

Meanwhile, Vaz won the recent Grand Prix at the St Ann Polo Club, Drax Hall, over the Independence holiday, aboard his customary horse, Shabba Ranks.

Stephen McConnell was second, while Adam Lake won the chil-dren's FEI showjumping ahead of 12-year-old Jonathon Vaz, brother of Justin.

- Orville Clarke