Rough start for Albert

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

LONDON, England:

It took her a great deal of effort to compete here in the first place, but it is looking increasingly difficult that Jamaican equestrian competitor, Samantha Albert, will be able to meet her objectives at the Olympic Games, after a rough start in the individual eventing competition at Greenwich Park.

Albert, who had a rough time raising the over $3 million to ensure her participation here - receiving help from the likes of teammate Usain Bolt among others - did well to prevent a complete disaster, but was powerless against the anxiety shown by her inexperienced gelding, Carraig Dubh, who looked uneasy throughout the six-minute dressage showing.

The Jamaican was sitting in the 21st position at press time with a 67.20 mark and over 50 riders left to complete the dressage test today, before tomorrow's cross country test and Tuesday's showjumping finale. All three scores will be tabulated and the top 25 riders will then return for a second showjumping test to determine the top positions.

Albert was hoping to finish among the top 25 here, but now knows that herself and Carraig Dubh are left with some steep hurdles to clear.

"I'm very disappointed. He (Carraig Dubh) can do a very good test, but the atmosphere got to him. He hasn't liked the big screen and that's what he was looking at the whole time, but the atmosphere got to him more than I expect it to," Albert told The Gleaner.

Like most things associated with Jamaica, Carriag Dubh - a race horse by profession and a last minute fill-in for Albert's usual partner, Squirt - also prefers to run at speed rather than the show of finesse and control that dressage demands, with horse and rider required to perform a series of predetermined moves from memory.

If she is in fact to make the top 25 after the first showjumping test, Albert will need to make the ride of her life in the cross country and first showjumping rounds.

"I was hoping to get into the top 25 because the top 25 go back and do showjumping, but I'll keep going and try to get a clear round in the cross country and go as fast as we can and then clear in the showjumping round and then we go on to the next round," Albert said. "I hope I can still make it up. There is everything to go for now, there is nothing to lose and I'm just going to go there and do our best.

"Anything can happen, all I can do now is go out and do my best and try and make Jamaica proud,' said Albert, who is expected to have a much better outing in her favourite discipline, the cross country.