Amara Gottwald, Amryn Takhar and Ariya Dinwoodie brought their ‘A’ game to the Spring Festival on Friday.

Dubbed the A-Team for the shared letter of their first names, the trio topped the $10,000 tbird Hunter Derby Teams Challenge.

Ten teams came forward in the most competitive field yet for the unique competition, which features teams of three horse-and-rider combinations, each of which jumps a derby course at a different height—2’6″, 3′ or 3’3″. Scores are accumulated for an overall score.

The winning team—comprised of riders hailing from Eliza Hunt’s Obsidian Hunter Jumper Farms in Delta, BC—finished on a total score of 250.5.

All three riders are new to Hunt’s program and all three managed to crack the 80 barrier.

Dinwoodie, 12, jumped the 2’6″ height on 9-year-old mare Dramatic DSF, earning a score of 83.5 in her derby debut.

“She had a stellar round, and that was her first derby ever, and first derby on ‘Rosie,'” said Hunt. “Ariya actually helped pick the mare as a foal when she was about five years old, so it’s kind of cool that she actually gets to ride her and show her now.”

Gottwald and her partner of two years, Pac Man TW, led the way for the team with a high score of 84.5 at the 3’ height, despite limited derby experience.

“She doesn’t generally do Pac Man in the hunters,” said Hunt of Gottwald’s 11-year-old 1.20m jumper and equitation horse. “They had a really, really smooth round. All the distances were nice. Super rhythm for her and Pac-Man.”

Rounding off that group was Takhar on her 15-year-old gelding Carmelo, another new student that moved to Hunt’s facility in March. “She showed last week in the hunters and was champion in the Large Junior Hunters. This week, she decided she wanted to do a little bit more of the equitation and the medals and then also help us with the team derby.”

Hunt also captained the second place finishing team—Pony in the Middle—represented by Sylvi Jenkins,  Hazel McLean and Ashley Arnoldt.