Opportunities are running out for Tim Collins but the Bermudian equestrian is determined to still try and qualify for next summer?s Olympic Games.

Putting last week?s setback at the Pan American Eventing Championships behind him, Collins? focus is now on the three remaining meets at which he can amass enough points to earn a place in Athens.

?Basically I am left with very few events to actually get the points,? said Collins, summing up the predicament he faces since his mount Delton Magna pulled up lame at the Pan-Ams.

?The cut-off is going to be around 65 points and I only have five at the moment.?

His quest to overcome adversity begins next week in Italy where a maximum 48 points are for the taking if he can win a competition in Turin.

His only other chances to boost his tally are in Portugal and France next March and April respectively.

Even if he achieves this, the 28-year-old?s challenge will not be over as he also needs to qualify the horse he intends to use at the Olympics. That process must be done at a Cross Country International (CCI) competition.

?You can do those (CCIs) up to June. There?s three or four places you can go. Qualifying the horse is not as important as getting the points though,? noted the UK-based Bermudian who could have fulfilled both objectives at the Pan Ams which had CCI status.

Unfortunately for him that was not to be. In second place in the individual standings after the dressage last Saturday at the Fair Hill International Festival in Maryland, USA, he was well set. However, Delton Magna fell lame in the middle of the cross country segment, forcing his rider to withdraw from competition.

?It was really, really disappointing. You?re in second place at the Pan-Am Games and you could potentially have gained all the points you need to go to the Olympics by just having a good finish. The points were there to be grabbed.

?I could have gone very slowly and still got enough points for the Olympics,? said Collins, recounting his misfortune to .

?The horse has jumped courses bigger than (the one at) the Pan-Ams already this year. It wasn?t a very big course but the horse went lame and you can?t really account for that. It?s just one of those things.

?The horse has completed every three-day event he has ever done before so it was a bit of a shock that this happened.?

In a bit of an ironic twist, he revealed Delton Magna was passed fit on Thursday and is now ready to compete again.

?The horse has just gone to the vet and apparently he is 100 percent sound now which makes it very annoying that he was lame last week.

?He has got the okay to go to Italy. There is no reason he can?t go so, yes, I should be going there going after some more points,? confirmed the equestrian.

Asked how tall an order it would be to secure the necessary points now, Collins acknowledged it was an uphill task but he was determined to fight to the bitter end.

?With the horse I have I didn?t think it was such a tall order but luck hasn?t gone my way and now it is quite a tall order.

?The competition in France is going to be very difficult. Everybody is going to be there. But, it?s still possible and I?m not going to give up until the fat lady sings.?