Devastated Olympic hopeful Jillian Terceira says she is 'shocked and disappointed' by the 'absurd' decision to pick rival Patrick Nisbett ahead of her as Bermuda's equestrian representative for the 2008 games.
Terceira told the Bermuda Sun that she feels she has been 'robbed' of her lifelong dream to compete at the pinnacle of her sport.
And in a stinging letter to the Bermuda Equestrian Federation, she points out that her horse Chaka III has consistently out-jumped Nisbett's Antille 8 and accuses the federation of allowing 'politics' to influence their decision.
She said: "I've been working towards this for 20 years and I just feel really deflated that it has come to this.
"I was expecting to be going. It's been a lifetime of work and it feels like I have been robbed because Chaka and I are clearly the best horse and rider combination at this time. It's absurd."
Both Nisbett, on Antille 8, and Terceira, originally on Navantus, had qualified for the equestrian section of the games, to be held in Hong Kong. But International Olympic Committee regulations stipulate that unless a country is competing in the team event it can only send one rider.
Bermuda officials opted for a play-off, with the two horses competing against each other in three events in Europe. But an injury to Navantus and the failure of either horse to qualify for the final two designated events, meant only the first play-off event took place with Nisbett taking a slender lead. This prompted the BEF to award the Olympic spot to Nisbett by default.
But Terceira subsequently managed to qualify a second horse - Chaka III - which did qualify and compete successfully in the final play-off event.
Terceira contends that result should have been enough to give her victory over Nisbett and Antille. She said that even if the injury to Navantus meant the play-off was null and void, then her second horse Chaka III should have been selected anyway, because it has had better results over the past two years.
Terceira also claims she e-mailed the BEF on three separate occasions to ask if Chaka III could be considered in the selection process, even though it had not, at that point, qualified for the games. She says her questions and concerns were ignored.
"They might say I qualified at a late date but I still qualified. I wasn't pushing to qualify Chaka III until Navantus got injured because I couldn't take two horses."
Chaka not considered
BEF president Mike Cherry said the spot had been decided by the original jump-off criteria - with Nisbett and Antille declared the winner by default because of the injury to Navantus.
"What I'm sure Jilly doesn't understand is that Chaka at that time was not qualified and therefore not in contention for an Olympic spot. Chaka did not qualify until June 30th, which was the final day. There was no jump off between Antille and Chaka." He said the BEF helped arrange a final day of competition so that Antille and Chaka could compete, but it was not for Bermuda's Olympic slot.
"We did it for two reasons. One was to give Chaka a final chance to qualify and to also give Antille a run out at the final height to show at full fitness. Both of those were objectives were achieved but it was not a head-to-head competition."
Cherry said basically when Navantus went down with an injury and couldn't compete any more, Antille was the winner by default.
Cherry flatly denied the decision was politically or racially motivated as implied in Terceira's letter which concludes - 'it's time to take politics out of sport and allow the best horse/rider combination to compete in Hong Kong. "If you read between the lines, that is what I assume is her implication, but believe me the equestrian federation has bent over backwards to ensure that each of these athletes have had equal chance. "It's very easy these days when something doesn't go quite right to call racism. We are extremely disappointed at this implication - nothing is further from the truth."
I think we have a bit of a sore loser here. However many chances you were both given to qualify the end result was you not getting the spot Jill and you should take it like a good sport and be proud of Patrick for representing our country. This may be your lifelong dream but I am sure it is his as well. Not being selfish and pick yourself up and try again next time instead of insulting Patricks ability as a rider.
Posted: Friday, July 11, 2008
Comment by:
Patrick Supporter
Firstly Congrats to Patrick. You have done an amazing job in qualifying for the one and only spot for the olympics in 2008! I am sure you will represent our island to the best of your ability. The majority of the horse community will be over joyed to have you represent us! Congrats again Pat!!
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Comment by:
Toni
Lis, you should know that the race issue wasn't MY issue - it is what I perceived to be a influencing factor in this debacle. FYI - I AM BLACK MYSELF!
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Comment by:
Lis
The only jump off that Patrick and Jill or should I say Antille 8 and Navauntus competed in was the first show that Patrick clearly won. The second show held Patrick showed up to compete and only found out after arriving at the show that Jill and Navauntus WILL NOT BE COMPETING because Navauntus was injured. Yes she did do well on Chaka III, but Chaka was not a qualified horse. And yes Patrick did have a bad performance. But it didn't matter because both qualified horses weren't competing. The last show in Switzerland was not a jump off. It was a show for Jill to try and qualify Chaka, which she did with 4 faults. Patrick also competed, not as any jump off with Jill, on Antille 8 and also got 4 faults. So during this whole ordeal Jill has never had the opportunity to win by default. If her performance at the Pan Am games is any indication as to what it will be like at the Olympics......well BEF you truly made the correct choice. It appears to be killing Toni (or someone) that not only will Patrick be the first Bermudian, which obviously Jill wanted to be, but the fact that he's black seems to be really upsetting which is why they are trying to throw in this race card. That's so far from the truth. Give credit when credit is due.
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Comment by:
Toni
"Moving On" - Here! Here! Wise words indeed!
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Comment by:
Toni
It is my understanding that Nisbett and Antille did NOT jump before the third & final head to head jump-off in Rotterdam.
Rotterdam was apparently a previously designated BEF event- it was in the BEF's previously defined criteria.
Therefore Terceira should have won by default...because 'he failed to compete in or to finish an appointed contest'.
The BEF never stated that Chaka's results would not be considered until after he had qualified!
The BEF stated on June 6th in the newspaper that, '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'. So maybe you can understand why this situation is so troubling...
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Comment by:
Toni
"On the Sidelines" you've got it half right when you said that he BEF is the real culprit here. It should also be noted that Jill's "Public Comments" currently being criticised as an attack against Patrick are comments that followed up a letter from Jill to the BEF - per the above article. Jill was clearly not attacking Patrick per se, rather the BEF's methodology for this decision. The BEF has erred considerably in their entire handling of this matter. Their so called "defined criteria" and other communiques (or the lack thereof) are what have led to this situation. There have been inconsistencies and contrary guidelines. Patrick has done wonderful things, so I concur that it is the shame that this may have overshadowed his success, but the fact remains that I feel the BEF have NOT come to this decision soundly!
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Comment by:
Moving On
With two riders and one opening, it was inevitable that there would be debate over the decision, whatever it had been. Did the right rider get picked - we can debate that for days but it's a futile excercise with no upside. The BEF should certainly take note to more clearly and publically define the criteria to qualify and remove any shadow of subjectivity in its final decision making processes in the future. For now though, equestrian supporters and Bermudians as a whole must come together and support Patrick and his quest for glory in Beijing. Good luck to him.
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Comment by:
Jonathan Nisbett
Firstly, let me declare my interest: I am the brother of Patrick Nisbett, chosen to represent Bermuda in Equestrian Jumping competition in the 2008 Olympics.
Most important in this selection process was that the process be fair and be seen to be fair, whatever the outcome. The BEF knew that their decision was being closely watched by supporters of both riders and the public at large and fairness was essential.
After decades of hard work, I understand that Jill Terceira should be disappointed or even upset at not being the selectee to represent Bermuda. But I do not accept, and am disppointed by her public comments attacking Patrick, Antille and the BEF. If she has a legitimate complaint about the BEF's decision, take it up with the BEF and the relevent subcommittee therein.
Jill's public comments do not bode well for her, the sport or the community. At the conclusion of every professional sporting event, there is a winner and a loser, but they still congratulate one another for the achievement of having made it to the finals. This is the time that Jill ought to be offering her well-wishes to Patrick, and giving tips to help ensure successful performances in Hong Kong and that he represents Bermuda well. She too can have a role in his success.
Patrick will be representing Bermuda, both within and outside of the show ring. And whether or not Jill/Chaka is the better team, unsportsman-like conduct we have just witnessed in form of her comments causes me to question would she is the better 'sportsman' to represent me and my country on this grand international stage.
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Comment by:
Congrats
Maybe we should hear these so-called true facts. Remember there is always two sides to a story. It's just amaazing how unsupportive a country can be of each other. As mentioned I would like to see an interview with Patrick Nisbett. He deserves to be on the spotlight now, not the one who couldn't make it. Enough feeling sorry for Jill. No one has robbed her of anything. She had to earn it and she failed. Let's feel some excitement for Patrick and support him.
