Little champions gallop to victory
Saurabh Dahiya
You cannot pass them off just as cute kids as they exude strength as they showcase their abilities on a horse. At the ongoing Delhi Horse Show at the Army Equestrian Centre, kids as young as three-year-old participated with full enthusiasm.
Six-year-old Shreesh Kumar astride Terry won the children’s Ball and Bucket Race and took top honours in Stick and Ball race, seven-year-old Rahul Singh on Duke came in second. In the more competitive outing, nine-year-old Saurabh Dahiya astride Aurangzeb triumphed royally in the Children's Dressage.
Saurabh started training in the equestrian sports when he was just three-year-old. This was for the first time that Saurabh moved to the serious category. “I was really scared initially as I thought I will lose the track. But one thing that kept me calm was that I could manage my horse well,” says Saurabh, who believes that to excel in equestrian sports one has to be calm and in control. “If you get nervous, your horse won’t listen to your commands,” says Saurabh who won silver and bronze medals last year in The Gymkhana categories.
Parvati Devi Sodhi, the organiser of the event and a trainer with the kids, says that the interest of the kids in the equestrian sports has grown in recent years because it provides both adventure and fun. “It’s not just horse riding, there are various other activities that make them skilled in taking care of a horse,” says Sodhi, who thinks that since the safety measures for kids have improved more parents are now open to sending their kids for the sport.
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