S Kannan in Hangzhou
Man and horse have been the best of friends since ancient times. Yet, this combination in a competitive sport is something so technical that not many have an inkling of how tough it is. On Tuesday, at the TL Equestrian Centre in Hangzhou, with heat and humidity within tolerable limits, the Indian dressage team created history by winning a gold medal at the Asian Games.
Such is the story of Indian sports that the names of well-known athletes come readily to the mind. People still remember what Fouaad Mirza did at the last Asian Games in Jakarta. Move over, guys. Sudipti Hajela, Divyakriti Singh, Vipul Hriday Chheda and Anush Agarwalla combined as a team to produce a gold which will resonate for a long time.
Equestrian is an expensive sport and, at the same time, not that popular in India. It is only before the Asian Games that there is usually a buzz.
On Tuesday, the story was about Sudipti, Divyakriti, Vipul and Anush. Equestrian in India has traditionally been the preserve of the Indian Army, so when privateers come in, burn money in the millions to hire horses abroad and stay overseas for training, it is sheer passion at work. How many can afford it, really, a sport which bleeds you in financial terms?
There is no way the Indian government can sponsor equestrian as a mass sport as it is very expensive. Thank God, these four Indian riders, all worth their weight in gold, and their mounts – Chinski, Adrenalin Firfod, Chemxpro Emerald and Etro – combined to bring on the magic. The field was classy, to say the least. Competing against China, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand, all countries with massive financial resources, was not easy.
For Sudipti, Divyakriti, Vipul and Anush to brave the odds and beat the field was one hell of a dream come true. They left India dreaming big. And on Tuesday, if their eyes were moist, it is understandable. True stories will come out, of how they raised funds and how they had to fight so many hardships to forge a love affair with their mounts.
This is India’s first gold medal in dressage at the Asian Games. What it means is that there is so much talent in the country that the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) needs to be governed well, with proper elections and an elected body in place.
So, what is dressage? If you wish to see pictures on Google, they look majestic – man or woman and mount, a picture of beauty. A true fan of this sport will love it when the mount (horse) responds to commands from the rider. It is a gentle relationship, not like racing, where the horse is often treated harshly. Dressage is nuanced and beautiful, a delicate art.
It is a sport which involves execution of precise movements by a trained horse of high quality, in response to its rider. In French, dressage means training. Unless the rider and mount have romanced for hours, there can be no perfect coordination. After all, the judges who award points are watching closely as well. To understand more, the movements of the horse are also different – walk, trot and canter. Some of the moves are beautiful to watch.
The combination of Sudipti (Chinski), Divyakriti (Adrenalin Firfod), Vipul (Chemxpro Emerald) and Anush (Etro) delighted connoisseurs of equestrian, a sport which makes you wonder how humans and animals can bond with each other so beautifully.