Earlier this month, Chennai witnessed one of the biggest horse riding shows in the country. Over a hundred riders, the best from all of South India came with their horses to showcase their talents. The event, held from March 6-8 at the Chennai Equitation Centre was a chance for rising talents to qualify for the Junior National Equestrian Championships (JNEC) 2020.
It was also one of the largest competitions in Chennai in a while as a lot of the competitions are held in Bengaluru as there are many riders and equestrian clubs over there. The competition attracted riders and their horses from Bengaluru and many parts of Tamil Nadu including Tuticorin, Ambur and Auroville. Even the Chennai Police did not miss this grand show and competed with their horses in several categories from Dressage to Show-Jumping.
The show was set up to give an opportunity for riders at all levels, starting from children aged five up to 60-year-old senior competitors. In order to spice it up and add a fun element, there was also a fashion show, where you saw horses dressed up like zebras or other colourful characters inspired by movies.
The Ride-Drive-Run event was one of the highlights for teams of three people - 1 rider with the horse, another driver with an ATV and a runner who had to jump over obstacles. In the final 'Puissance' event, it was all about the highest jumping horse and rider combination.
Isabelle Hasleder, founder of HQ Leadership India and one of the organisers of the event said that horse riding is a sport that requires immense mental strength and it was gaining huge popularity in India.