Bermudian equestrian Tim Collins is almost a certainty for this summer's Olympics.

A stellar performance by the England-based rider at the recent CIC Three Star Three-Day event in Rome, Italy, has boosted his points tally to 45, virtually assuring him of topping the International Equestrian Federation's North America zone and thus securing automatic qualification.

Competing on Delton Magna, Collins finished seventh overall among a field of 80 leading European equestrians. This earned him another 29 valuable qualifying points and there could well have been more had he not dislodged a rail at the final show-jumping fence. The Olympic hopeful also placed 24th on his other mount Mr. K.Starr.

“It was a really tough competition with horses that have won medals in previous championships. My horses were up there against the best horses in the world,” said the 28-year-old.

“It was a great week. My horses are just starting to click and I've had a lot of help in my riding from a Dutch trainer called Rob Erons - training in the show jumping. He helped me with my strides and I started getting more fluid and a bit faster.

“I was probably in the day's top five times. I was one of the fastest people.

“Dad came over and watched me ride and said I'm back to the best I've ever ridden. He is over the moon. It all went well. It seems to be piecing together right now. I don't know why, but I'm not complaining.”

Asked if he felt he had now wrapped up the zonal berth, Collins replied modestly: “I would be surprised if I haven't.”

Now he awaits official confirmation from the Bermuda Equestrian Federation (BEF) on whether he can start planning for the Athens Olympiad.

“That puts me on about 45 points right now. I've been told that Bermuda can apparently send one rider but it would be nice to know if they (the BEF) will say ‘You can just go within the qualifying time and we'll send you' or if they want me to come up with more goods.”

If it's the latter, he noted, he would have to “go for it again” but if the BEF is satisfied with his performances he can just concentrate on qualifying his horses for the Games which he plans to focus on in another Italian competition later this month.

“The horses are sound, fit and ready. I just need Bermuda to let me know what they want me to do at the next competition: whether they want me to get some more points or whether they would be happy if I just ride within the (qualifying) times and qualify my horses.”

Now that his own qualification dilemma seems at an end, Collins is suddenly faced with another headache regarding his choice of mount. Until now he had been leaning towards Mr. K.Starr but suddenly Delton Magna has put himself into Olympic contention.

“Delton Magna gave me such a nice ride in Italy. He is just starting to click. He did a really good test in the cross country which was what let me down at Fair Hill (another competition) last year,” he noted.

“They are two very good horses. I don't know, I would like to have them both qualified and actually be able to take both over and choose (in Greece).

“A lot people will be taking two horses down there, walking the track and then choosing which horse to ride.”

Meanwhile BEF president Mike Cherry is still unsure whether Collins had qualified for the Olympics but he hopes to have the matter clarified when he attends the International Equestrian Federation's General Assembly in Paris, France, this weekend.

“To be quite honest, Tim would probably know more than I do,” said Cherry. “It's such a complicated qualifying system with so much depending on the results of other competitors, that at this point I couldn't confirm whether he's in or he's not.

“However, there's no doubt this was a very good result for Tim.”

As for Bermuda's other leading equestrian, former Pan-Am gold medallist MJ Tumbridge, Cherry remains hopeful she too can represent the Island in Greece.

“Given her previous accomplishments we're hoping that MJ will be given a wild card entry,” he said.

“However, we have to find out whether Bermuda is entitled to a qualifier as well as a wild card. That's something I'm also hoping to clarify on the trip to Paris.”