Tim Collins produced a high-quality round of showjumping yesterday to finish his maiden Olympics in creditable fashion.

The Bermudian placed 36th overall among a field of 68 equestrians who completed the three-day eventing ? 75 had started ? with a total of 81.60 penalty points. Knocking down a single rail earned him four penalty points in showjumping while he was given another nine penalty points for exceeding the time limit.

Those 13 points were added to his overnight score of 68.60 from the dressage and cross-country combined for his final tally at the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Markopoulo.

Collins was aiming for a perfect showjumping round and was on course for it until his 12th and penultimate obstacle ? a triple jump ? where he dislodged a rail on the first fence.

Still he was evidently overjoyed as he dismounted and greeted his family afterwards.

?I wanted a clear round but I had one down. We still had a nice smooth round and the main thing I wanted was to finish and put up a good show for Bermuda. I think this is probably the best (equestrian) performance in an Olympics from a Bermudian,? said the England-based rider who was 42nd after Monday?s dressage.

?I didn?t get the result I wanted ? to be in the top 20. My dressage put me too far back to do that. We still gained a lot of places and I?m very happy.

?Being around the top 50 percent of the world is not too bad, is it??

Sparing no praise for his gelding, Delton Magna, he applauded his mount?s jumping prowess, saying it inspired him and that he hopes to be in competition with him until the Beijing Olympics.

?He is always a very good jumper so I was very confident going out and jumping a nice round. I?m surprised how much time I took but when I jumped one fence I carried on straight, the long way, just because I knew he was better off (jumping) on his other leg. He is a little sore and I didn?t want to change him around too much and fight with him.

?He jumped fantastically. He tried his guts out all week and I hope I can keep him in cotton wool until the next Olympics. He will be quite old then but he has now become such a good horse. I just have to up my game a bit to go with him.

?I would like to come back on this horse if he is not too old and is still going because he is a horse that can pull out all the stops.?

Collins reasoned that though Delton Magna is 14-years-old, he could still be a force to be reckoned with at 18 if ?over the next three or four years, I do very little with him?.

?There are two or three horses here who are that age and who have been going a long time. With this new format you don?t wreck your horses. You can have them for a far longer time.?

He is also optimistic his other mount, Mr. K.Starr, will realise his potential at top level, thus giving Collins more options in major events. The ten-year-old horse is recovering from a strain in his front left leg.

Reflecting on his first Olympics outing, Collins admitted never feeling under so much pressure before. This, he stressed, is one of the biggest differences between him and the elite equestrians.

?It?s a matter of nerves and experience. The guys who are leading this competition have been to a few Olympic Games and they know how to handle the pressure. You can take a lot from Olympic experience.?

Obviously, his dressage must also improve significantly but, even given that flaw in his armour, Collins estimated he is 80 percent of where he wants to be. Now, it?s the crucial 20 percent of the way he must travel.

?It?s probably things like listening to my wife (Leida Strijk-Collins) ? a top international dressage rider who has ridden for Holland ? and polishing everything up a bit,? he said candidly.

?Cross-country is my good part. We absolutely flew around yesterday (Tuesday) and the horse was fast and took most of the direct routes. I couldn?t expect to do any better in the difficult parts. Showjumping is not a problem but my dressage has to improve.

?The people who are leaders in this are doing unbelievable (dressage) tests. They are top riders and in order to compete with them and beat them you have raise yourself to their standards.?

The 28-year-old also revealed the profound impact and uplifting effect of discussions with Bermuda?s team physiotherapist Glenn Robinson, who calmed his nerves tremendously.

?I talked to him before cross-country and I?ve got to thank him a lot. We had a good hour-and-a-half talk and he made me feel so confident for the cross-country. I don?t believe I would have ridden such a round yesterday (Tuesday) if it wasn?t for him and that pep talk.

?I just wish I had talked to him before my dressage because the reason I didn?t do the test I wanted to do was because my nerves got to me.?

Collins hailed Robinson as ?a mental guru? though the latter?s expertise is physiotherapy and thanked him profusely for getting him into a positive mindset.

The Bermudian?s next international competition will be the World Games in Germany in 2006. He plans to do one big event between now and then.

Germany?s Bettina Hoy, aboard Ringwood Cockatoo, took the gold medal with the low penalty score of 41.60 while Britain?s Leslie Law (44.40) and Kimberly Severson of the USA (45.20) filled the other podium spots.