Express News Service
CHENNAI: When you start dipping into the history books to try and put some present day event in context, you can be sure about one thing. You have witnessed history. Four Indian dressage competitors did just that at the Tonglu Equestrian Centre in Hangzhou on Tuesday.
The sport has received — and continues to receive — a lot of bad rep over the last few years because of governance issues and the arbitrary nature of selection policies. But this was one discipline where medals were expected rather than hoped. But gold, a first in the sport at this level since 1982? Not really.
But the foursome of Anush Agarwalla (Etro), Divyakriti Singh (Adrenalin Firfod), Sudipti Hajela (Chinski) and Hriday Chheda (Chemxpro Emerald) not only rewrote the record books. In the process of doing so, they also managed to do something that most others from the country have failed since the Games began; relegated the hosts to second place on the podium.
“Unbelievable,” said Agarwalla after the event. “It’s not been an easy journey. All of us have worked very hard for many years, we have sacrificed. It’s been a lot of hard work. We have created history and are very happy to have been a part of it.”
Usually, when Indian athletes talk of sacrifices, it involves dropping out of school because of a paucity of funds. Or borrowing basic equipment because their parents couldn’t afford it. Or learning about stuff on the internet because of a lack of accessibility to proper coaching.
The sacrifices these four riders mentioned had to do with shifting base to a new continent to further their dressage careers. While Divyakriti mentioned that ‘it really takes a village to get here (win gold at this level), Sudipti said it ‘takes more than a village’. “It’s been a very long journey but it’s worth it because everything came together at the end. None of us were able to believe it at the moment.
The Germany link
Some of those sacrifices included moving to Germany while in Class XII for Anush. Staying away from family and alone in a new country can be a challenge for a teen and Anush, who became the first Indian to contest at the Worlds in this discipline, opened up about the challenge. “I moved to Germany when I was 17. I had never competed at a high level before then. I was in Class XII so I was flying back and forth till my exams. I didn’t have a normal teenage life (something very common for high-end athletes) as I was always busy training with the horses. In 2018, I wasn’t good enough. Now…”
There’s a reason why if you are an equestrian rider — especially if your specialisation is dressage — it’s advised that you base yourself in Germany (at least two, Hriday and Anush, of the four either train permanently or have short-term stints there). Eventing ace Fouaad Mirza, who won two medals at the Asian Games in Jakarta, explains to this daily. “The system of training horses and riders is very good,” he said. “It’s situated in central Europe so riders can easily go to shows in other parts over the week. Importantly, they breed some of the best horses for the sport across all disciplines (eventing, show jumping and dressage). They have a very good breeding programme and have some of the finest horses in the world. Everything falls into place. You get some of the best trainers and the training system is geared towards helping the riders and the horses. That’s why I think a lot of riders move to Germany. Speaking specifically about dressage, they have possibly been the dressage champions or medallists in all major Championships and Olympics for a long time. It’s really the place to be, if you want to excel in dressage.” Fouaad, who himself is based in Germany, has a point. The last time they didn’t win an eventing medal at the Olympics was in 1980 when West Germany boycotted the Games to protest the invasion of Afghanistan.
On Hriday, one of the two riders who trains in Germany, he said: “He’s a very hardworking boy and is also super talented. In fact, Hriday told me in the lead up to the Games that they have a live chance of winning a medal and this was in the midst of all the trouble with the federation. I hope the show-jumping and the eventing teams can follow through.”
That’s the thing about their triumph. At one point, it looked like riders wouldn’t be sent to the Games. “It is with great dismay that the Federation (EFI) is constrained to intimate you that it has been conveyed to the EFI by the SAI that no funding is being made available in near future for the equestrian contingent,” wrote EFI secretary general, Col Jaiveer Singh. But this claim was contested. There was even a mention that a sum of `8 cr would be sanctioned for riders and horses in all three equestrian disciplines.
When queried how the four of them remained defiant in the face of adversity, they said it was because of the positivity within the squad. “Never thought we will never be able to get here,” they maintained. “All of us have a positive outlook. All four of us were on the same page. When we go out, there will be lots of bumps on the road but 100% be positive. Nothing at all has stopped us from getting here. There’s enough fire in the belly to keep us going. All of them have the same passion, same intensity and the same goals. But it would have been easier. All the hardships made us mentally stronger.”
On Thursday, Anush and Hriday, who are currently within the top three in the individual dressage, have a rare chance to complete a rare 1-2 for India in any sport at this level. If they do it, they will rewrite history again.
What is dressage?
It’s a horse-riding competition that takes place over multiple rounds in a vast arena usually measuring 60m by 20m.
What’s the competition about?
So there are markers (usually letters) scattered across the arena. Both the horse and the rider will have to be in complete harmony during the competition as the former will have to perform a series of predetermined moves depending on the scale of difficulty. For example, the horse will have to walk while music plays in the background.
Top three
India 209.205, China 204.882, Hong Kong, China 204.852
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