From ranking second in India in FEI’s Jumping Children’s Classic Bronze Tour to remaining in the top 30 position of the FEI World Rankings Children’s Classic Bronze Tour to attaining the gold at the Junior National Equestrian Championship 2021 (Mumbai) under the category Children-I for show jumping and dressage on a team level as well as bagging bronze at the same competition in solo,Kolkata boy Shaurya Jain has been on a winning streak. The 14-year-old prodigy from La Martiniere for Boys sat down with The Telegraph under the cool shade of the Shamiana at The Tollygunge Club for a chat. Excerpts.
How did you get into horse riding as a sport?
I was inspired by my family. My father used to ride and ever since I was five-years-old, I used to come to the Tolly club. I started with ponies and as I grew older, I ventured into horses. It’s a generational sport that I’ve decided to carry on as my father and my grandfather were acquainted with the sport too.
You’ve spent a lot of time training, how would you break down the sport for others?
I train a lot in show jumping and dressage but my first love is show-jumping. Show jumping essentially involves a horse and its rider skillfully overcoming obstacles in an orderly manner through a course, while attempting to be the fastest as well. There are various types of obstacles that one has to jump over. Dressage, on the other hand, involves a rider and their horse showcasing various movements in front of judges. It is a way of testing the mastery and harmony that the rider has with their horses.
The equestrian sport is a sport that can be played at the Olympics too. What sets the equestrian sport apart is that there is no age barrier and no gender-based tournament or division. It is a competition where one fights head to head with each other. Essentially, it is divided into three parts: show-jumping, dressage and cross country. Some people do dressage, some people do show-jumping and some people do all three of them. I’ve come to love show-jumping more.
You’re India’s young rising star in your field. You were second in the All-India Federation Equestrian International show jumping bronze tour. How do you feel about this achievement?
The international event was a bit more difficult and an advanced form as the riders were more advanced than me. The judges came from Switzerland where the headquarters of Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) or The International Federation for Equestrian Sports is. I felt like I was on cloud nine and I was ecstatic with my horse. We both performed well. There were six rounds spanning over three days, with two rounds every day. The first day was a selection for team India and I got a gold in that.
Any ritual you follow before you compete?
Well… I have a Coke. I need to have that one sip before I head in. My father is always beside me, ready with a Coke. That’s become our ritual.
What’s the most exciting part of the competition for you?
Show jumping is an adventure and I find it truly more fun than the others. With show jumping, I get to strategise and apply various tactics. As the difficulty keeps increasing with respect to age, the challenges also increase. I find that extremely thrilling. Last year, I completed Children-I, so now I’m at the junior level. Another thrilling aspect is defeating participants.
How do you view equestrian sports as a sport and career in India?
There is a lot of scope that is already existing and is also coming up in India. A lot of riders have participated in the prestigious Asian Games and have even won laurels, and riders have also competed at the Olympics. Accessibility is on the limited side, but Kolkata offers it on a much higher level. Personally, Tollygunge Club is the finest in east India, facility-wise.
Any particular breed of horse you prefer? Why?
The more advanced you go, you need warmblood horses which are imported from Europe. It can be Irish or German, etc. They are bred only for this sport. Warmbloods are fully trained and bred for show jumping and other equestrian disciplines. My first German warmblood is Cornelius with whom I’ve trained and competed with at national and international show jumping events. I train regularly on an ex-racehorse (Arjun) at the Tolly stables.
What other sports do you like playing?
While equestrian sports comes first for me, I’ve tried my hand at cricket, swimming and even rowing but swimming is one I prefer amongst the others. When the course is closed or when I’m bored, I go swimming.
Would you define the sport as a demanding one?
There is a lot of mental pressure. During my last competition, I had 90 people competing against me. That alone is one of the factors that comes into play. Moreover, this sport is an accident-prone sport and a dangerous one. You need to have a very strong heart and calm presence of mind that allows you to exceed under pressure. I’ve gone through several injuries as it is an accident-prone sport. But thanks to my parents, coaches, peers and well-wishers’ support, I’ve been able to come back stronger than ever.
Tell us about your favourite horse. Any fun facts about them?
My horse, Cornelius, is one of the coolest horses I’ve come across! You can’t touch his ear under any circumstances! And he chills the whole day. His whole demeanour changes when he sees the arena, and he comes to a different league, and then it’s back to chilling again. My other horse, Arjun, is an elegant, laid-back horse and one of the most handsome horses I’ve come across.
There is a lot of mental pressure. During my last competition, I had 90 people competing against me. That alone is one of the factors that comes into play. Moreover, this sport is an accident-prone sport and a dangerous one. You need to have a very strong heart and calm presence of mind that allows you to exceed under pressure. Thanks to my parents, coaches, peers and well-wishers’ support, I’ve been able to come back stronger than ever.
Speaking of the future, what are your plans and goals?
For my education and advanced training, I plan to move to the US or Europe soon and I wish to train hard and get selected for the 2026 Asian Games.
Anyone in the field that you look up to the most?
My coaches. Captain Sajjan Kumar (retd.) and Captain Bhagirath Singh (retd.). Captain Sajjan Kumar trains me here at Tollygunge Club and Bhagirath sir looks after my advanced training in Jaipur. And last but not the least, my father and mother and sister along with my fellow riders and the Tollygunge Club riding committee who constantly support me no matter what.
Pictures: Pabitra Das; courtesy of Gautam Jain
