Bermuda equestrians Patrick Nesbitt and Jill Terceira are facing the biggest events of their show-jumping careers - a showdown to determine who will represent the Island at this summer's Beijing Olympics.

Both have qualified for the Games but Bermuda Olympic Association have confirmed that only one equestrian can represent the Island at the competition, which will actually be held in Hong Kong, a two-hour flight from the Chinese capital where the majority of athletes will compete.

And as such, their results in events leading up to the Olympics will determine who takes the one Olympic spot.

President of Bermuda Equestrian Federation and member of Bermuda's Olympic Committee, Mike Cherry, believes that competition between the two riders is a good sign of things to come.

"We have the pleasure of having two equestrians qualify for the Olympics", said Cherry yesterday. "But we are only allocated one spot in the event so Jill and Pat will have to compete in a show-off to decide who will go. This is the only fair way."

The two equestrians are based in Europe - Terceira in Holland and Nesbitt in England, and it appears the two will square off in Europe.

"They won't jump in Bermuda as it would be complicated based upon where they are currently located," Cherry continued. "What will happen is the two will compete at the same events this May and June.

"We will look at the respective scores over the period which we will announce in the near future and the one who has the best score will represent Bermuda this summer."

With equestrianism one of the few sports that presents the same demands for both men and women, Cherry believes it will be a close contest.

"The sport is a level playing field for both men and women," Cherry stated. "There are very few sports that I can think of where the two genders are pitted against each other with the same rules and stipulations.

"So a woman can very well win the gold medal in this event."

The show jumping competition will be held in Hong Kong between August 9 to August 21.