BARCELONA -- Bermuda's equestriennes are affected by the absence of Peter Gray and they are not ashamed to say so.

Mary Jane Tumbridge had been in better form than Gray all season, but he was the man.

Not because he would have been the only male on the team, but because he is the inspiration behind Bermuda equestrianism.

Gray starred in the previous two Olympics and was well on his way to a third before a terrifying accident a few weeks ago nearly cost him his life -- and ruled him out of these Games.

But for three-day eventers Tumbridge and Nicola DeSousa, and dressage specialist Suzanne Dunkley, the show must go on.

"I'm disappointed about Peter,'' said DeSousa. "To start with I thought that without a (three-day event) team there was no sense being here. But then I realised that it is still an honour to come here as an individual.'' Chef d'equipe Mary Francis Gaglio added: "It's disappointing two-fold, firstly because we don't have a team and then it's very disappointing to the riders as a whole.

"Peter is our most experienced international. He is very good in a team situation and is very good at drawing everybody together. We miss him very much, but I'm sure these two will be able to go out there and give it their best.'' All these riders have been busy since arriving here and they have a feel for both sites that will play host to equestrianism.

The Centre d'Hipica del Montanya, perhaps the most picturesque Olympic site, is where the first two stages of the three-day event will be held. The dressage test will be today and tomorrow and the endurance test on Wednesday.

The three-day event switches to the nearby Real Club de Polo for the showjumping on Thursday. This venue will also host the individual dressage for Dunkley on August 2 and 3 with the final scheduled for August 5.

"Before I left England it hadn't really hit me,'' said DeSousa, who will be riding Prairie King. "But once you're here and you see everything you begin to realise you're here.'' Tumbridge has been brilliant since winning a silver medal at the Pan American Championships last year in Georgia. She had a setback of her own shortly after making her 1992 debut in England, but has apparently bounced back.

She said: "It was really exciting. I went to my first event on Bermuda's Pizzazz and Bermuda's Option and I won on Bermuda's Pizzazz. It was really exciting, to go to a new country and do so well in the first event.

"It was unfortunate that Pizzazz got a bruised foot and I couldn't bring him because he was definitely my first choice. But Option has been good to me. He was good at his last event (first in Savernake Trials) and actually gave me a better ride than Pizzazz. So I feel good about him.'' Dunkley encountered difficulties the first few days she was here as her mount, Highness, took some time to adjust to the climate.

"The first couple of days Highness was a little tired but fresh,'' said Dunkley, who has lived in Holland the past two years with horse-dealing fiance Robert Zandvoort. "But he is okay now and otherwise it's kind of exciting being here.'' MARY JANE TUMBRIDGE -- A member of Bermuda's depleted equestrian contingent.