WHO will represent Bermuda in show jumping at this summer's Olympic Games is up in the air this week after last weekend's head-to-head competition between Patrick Nesbitt and Jill Terceira.

Both riders qualified for the Olympics when they competed last summer at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, but only one Olympic spot is available to Bermuda so it was decided that Nesbitt and Terceira would go head-to-head in three shows in Europe.

And while Nesbitt won the first of the three head-to-head competitions a few weeks ago at a three-star show in Lamprechthausen, Austria, both he and Terceira failed to qualify for the Grand Prix class last weekend at the four-star show in Bourg-en-Bresse, France.

The third head-to-head show was supposed to be in Rotterdam starting on June 18 but only Terceira will go while Nesbitt tries to figure out what has gone wrong with his big mare Antille who was disqualified last weekend in France in two qualifying class for the Grand Prix after having two refusals on both days.

In fact just getting Terceira into the Rotterdam event took some doing, said Bermuda Equestrian Federation boss Mike Cherry.

Normally neither Nesbitt or Terceira would have been invited after failing last weekend but the FEI (world governing body) realised Bermuda's dilemma in trying to choose one rider for the Olympics and they made an exception.

The Rotterdam event is a five-star show and only the top show jumpers in the world are invited.

Cherry said yesterday: "Patrick will not go to Rotterdam and Jill will not be going on Navantus ¿ but she will be going on her second horse Chaka."

Navantus came up lame before the show last weekend and Terceira rode Chaka but failed to get into the Grand Prix after putting down a fence in the first qualifier and two fences in the second qualifier.

Not only do the riders have to qualify for the Olympics but so do their horses and right now only Antille and Navantus are qualified for the Games.

Cherry said: "We are not 100 percent sure of where we stand right now. We are waiting to hear from Jill on what is the problem with Navantus. He could be out for a week or it could take a little longer. Hopeful it will be a fairly quick diagnosis and a fix and she can get back on him. With Antille we are not sure. Patrick was getting Antille assessed today to figure out what the problem is.

"It is unusual for Antille to refuse ¿ she is a super horse and apparently this stopping problem is completely alien to this horse. She has never done it at competition at this level so Patrick is a bit concerned."

Cherry is hoping that Terceira will qualify Chaka for the Olympics when she competes in Rotterdam.

"Things are up in the air and we now have the possibility that Chaka may well qualify for the Olympics and be in the mix as well. If Chaka qualifies for the Grand Prix in Rotterdam and does well the decision (on who will go to the Olympics) will have to be made after that. We will just have to see what happens in Rotterdam. In between time we hope that Antille gets over her problem and Navantus gets over his problem. If they do there are alternative shows that they could go to."

Cherry praised the FEI on using its influence in getting Terceira into Rotterdam.

"The FEI have been extremely helpful and understand our situation as a small nation and they want us to be in the Olympics. We are only there in Rotterdam because of the influence of the FEI."

While Nesbitt's Antille had two refusals last weekend on each day which disqualified him, Terceira saw her main mount Navantus come up lame before the first qualifier last Friday and then Chaka failed to make the grade.

She said this week: "I competed with Chaka as I was hoping to qualify him in Sunday's Grand Prix. Unfortunately even though I only had four and eight faults respectively in the Friday and Saturday classes I did not qualify for the Grand Prix class on Sunday and so was not eligible to qualify for the Olympics on my second horse. The Grand Prix was limited to the top 40 riders of 65 competing and I finished about 45th!"

At the first head-to-head show a few weeks ago in Lamprechthausen, Austria Nesbitt and Antille had four faults (one rail down) while Terceira on her stallion Navantus had eight faults (two rails down).

The show jumping at this year's Olympics will be staged on Hong Kong.