LONDING CALLING: Collett calm ahead of Games (From Swindon Advertiser)

LONDING CALLING: Collett calm ahead of Games

6:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Local By Andy Warren

OLYMPIC hopeful Laura Collett is trying to stay relaxed about the prospect of competing at London 2012 and is focusing her attention on performing well in the events leading up to the Games.

The 22-year-old burst onto the scene last year as a superb performance at Badminton forced her into contention for one of the five Great Britain team places at the London Games, and also secured a senior international debut at the European Championships.

But in order to secure one of the coveted places, the Membury-based rider knows she needs to put in a repeat performance to impress the selectors.

Collett is taking both her two lead mounts, Rayef and Noble Bestman, to Badminton in May, and is excited to get her season underway after a short winter break.

“The Olympics is always in the back of my mind but my main priority at the moment is to get the horses ready for Badminton and keep the rest of the horses here coming through,” she said.

“It is very easy just to think there is one event, but there is an awful lot that goes on before it, which is perhaps more important because it is what you do to get selected that counts.

“I am really excited about taking two horses to Badminton after going so well last year, and I would love to improve on that. I am really excited because the Olympics are just around the corner too and I am just looking forward to getting going.”

Collett’s first experience on the international scene did not go according to plan, as Rayef underperformed at the European Championships due to an undiagnosed virus.

She is now hoping to move under the radar to secure an Olympic place, and is hoping her disappointing debut could play into her hands.

“I think what happened at the Europeans will help in a funny kind of way,” she said.

“If things had gone really well then there would have been a lot of pressure on me and expectations on the Olympics.

“In a way, knowing that I have to go out there and push myself and the horse at Badminton is more of an aim.

“Because it was such a massive disappointment at the end of a really good year, you have to look at the positives otherwise you will drive yourself mad. In a way it was a good thing but I would have given anything to have had a good senior Europeans.”

If she is selected for the Olympics, Collett will be significantly younger than the majority of her teammates and competitors, which she sees as a positive.

“Because I am so young I don’t think there is that much pressure on me,” she said.

“I just have to keep thinking there are so many more chances, and for some of the older riders there could be a lot more pressure because it could be their last Olympics.

“There is a massive hype about the games being here. When we were awarded the Games I was very young and had no idea I would even be in contention, so to be in with a chance is amazing.”