Paris 2024: Anush Agarwalla: Pioneering India's Equestrian Excellence on the Road to Paris 2024
Anush Agarwalla, who obtained India’s first-ever dressage quota in equestrian for the Paris 2024 Olympics, enjoyed a stellar season last year with medals at the Asian Games individual as well as team events. This was India’s first Olympic quota in dressage. Previously, seven Indian equestrians have competed at the Summer Games but all in eventing.
Anush's bronze medal in the individual dressage was the first won by an Indian at the Asian Games. He was also part of the first-ever gold medal-winning equestrian Indian team in dressage. Anush obtained the Paris 2024 quota for India based on his performance in four FEI events. In Hangzhou, Agarwalla rode Etro during his medal-winning run.
During the FEI events, the Indian equestrian, riding his horse Sir Caramello Old, scored 73.485% in Poland and followed it up 74.4% in the Netherlands. In Germany, he managed 72.9% and scored 74.2% in Belgium.
Fouaad Mirza represented India in equestrian at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Earlier, Imtiaaz Anees (Sydney 2000), Indrajit Lamba (Atlanta 1996), Jitendrajit Singh Ahluwalia, Hussain Singh, Mohammed Khan and Darya Singh (all Moscow 1980) competed under the Indian flag at the Summer Games.
“You can’t whip the horse and get good results,” Agarwalla noted. “The trust level with your horse has to be immaculate. Bonding is key and I have been lucky, both in Hangzhou and when I obtained the Olympic quota because the mental and physical health of the rider and his animal have to match perfectly. Bonding, like human relationships, happens over time and these are like secret affairs really,” Anush Agarwalla added. “At every step, the relationship with my horse has been special, almost perfect.”
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27 май 2024
