Jockey Jamie Lee Scallan and Empire Soldier narrowly avoid Stealthy Tom and jockey Simon Derek Torrens, who remain on the ground after a fall, as they soar over Ruby’s Double—a demanding double grass obstacle built in 1995 in honor of legendary Irish jockey Ruby Walsh Sr.—on the cross-country course at Punchestown in County Kildare. The action takes place during the third day of the Punchestown Festival, Ireland’s premier National Hunt event, held every April, which attracts top competitors and large crowds and is regarded as the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Festival. With clods of earth flying through the air, Scallan maintains balance and momentum as his horse stretches mid-leap, in a moment of pure peril and precision.