NOW that three Bermudian riders have qualified to compete at this summer’s Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, officials of the Bermuda Olympic Association and the Bermuda Equestrian Federation have to figure out how to raise the funds to transport the horses to Brazil.All three horses of riders Patrick Nisbett, Jill Terceira and Annabelle Collins are based in Europe and it is expected that it will cost just under $50,000 per horse to fly them to the Games which run from July 13-29.

While show jumpers Nisbett and Terceira qualified for the Games last year at a show in Italy, dressage rider Collins, sister of former Olympic three-day eventer Tim, qualified last month during the Sunshine Tour in Spain.

And there is a possibility that Bermuda could have more riders qualify for Brazil although BEF chief Mike Cherry said those hopes were getting slimmer by the day.

The highest number of riders representing Bermuda at a major games was in 1999 when three-day eventer MJ Tumbridge along with dressage riders Kevin Edwards, Catherine Fox and Christopher Taylor qualified for the Pan Ams in Winnipeg, Canada. Those Pan Am Games were also the most successful for Bermuda’s riders ever — Tumbridge bringing home the gold in the three-day event.

Cherry said this week: “It is super news that Annabelle has qualified.”

On the downside is the cost of transporting the horses. “We had estimated that it will cost about $50,000 to fly each horse to Rio. The latest information we have is that it will be a little less than that — hopefully anyway. But we are aiming at $50,000 anyway just to be safe.”

And while the BEF has had, and will be having, fundraisers, Cherry said they will most likely be asking Government for some financial help.

“Government have never paid any money to send teams overseas — not so far anyway,” he said.

With the three riders based in England, Holland and Spain, Cherry said their horses could come over with riders from Brazil, Argentina, Mexico or any other riders based in Europe who will be competing at the Pan Am Games. Many of the South American top riders live and compete in Europe.

Cherry said: “They could come over with the Brazilians, Mexicans or Argentines who all ride and compete in Europe although it could be that we join up with someone else. The thing is is that the dressage competition is at the beginning of the Games while the show jumping is at the end with the eventing in the middle so all of our horses will not necessarily travel together.”

Transporting horses is a speciality and although sometime they go on planes of mixed freight, the most liklihood is that they will travel on special planes. “They travel with grooms and vets,” said Cherry adding, “there are a lot of logistics to work out. It is not like a runner where you pack your pair of spikes!”

Regarding the dreaded quarentine, Cherry said that going to and from Europe should not be too difficult.

“It should be OK,” he said.

The BEF have already been sending out fundraising letters and the like. “We have sent a corporate mailing out,” said Cherry, “but that has not been all that encouraging because it seems like the corporate money these days is being used for social things or for the juniors.

“In fact we have a junior (show) in May and that is getting a better response that the effort to raise money for the Pan Ams.”

That junior event is Bermuda hosting a leg of the Caribbean Junior Jumping Competition.

“We had a fund raising show in February and we will have the canteen at the Ag Show in a couple of weeks. Then Penny Terceira (mother of Pan Am-bound rider Jill) will be holding an event in May — hopefully we can get some money there,” said Cherry.

Regarding any other riders who may still make the Pan Am games, Cherry said: “It is looking doubtful right now. We have not heard from (dressage rider) Chris Taylor and so we are not too hopeful that he is going to make it. Tim (Collins) is still trying but I gather that he is not hopeful of reaching the required standards.”

Collins rode at the Athens Olympics in 2004 in eventing. He recently switched to show jumping and Cherry said: “It is a big step up from the show jumping phase of eventing to (pure) show jumping. And then MJ Tumbridge doesn’t have a horse (fit to go this year).”

Bermuda Olympic Association chief John Hoskins said of transporting the horses to Rio: “It will be expensive — there is no question about that. It is an unusual situation.”

Nisbett and Terceira both qualified at the same show last year — the CCI three-star in La Bagnaia, Italy. “It made it extra special that we both qualified at the same time,” said a happy Terceira at the time.

Terceira qualified on her horse Chaka III while Nisbett was on his mount Antille 8.

Annabelle Collins has been based in Barcelona and qualified while riding on the Sunshine Tour in Spain last month.

She exceeded the 64 percent mark needed to book her place in Rio.

Collins was riding her 10-year-old German stallion, Medici.

The equestrian events at the Pan Am Games will be staged at the Deodoro Military Centre, in the western zone of Rio de Janeiro, located 26 minutes away from the Pan American Village. It will also host archery, hockey, modern pentathlon and shooting.