BENGALURU: If you ask a school-going student about his achievements, most of them will talk about their academic record. But not 18-year-old Jibran Khan, a Class 12 student from Canadian International School, whose story is slightly different, much definitely beyond books. He has established himself as one of the best upcoming equestrian riders in the country. The Bengaluru boy showed some incredible skills in the show jumping event during the recently-concluded Equestrian Premier League (EPL), winning the title in the open category. 

Besides, Khan has an impressive resume. Having already represented India at show jumping in Chinese Taipei last year, where he put up a decent performance, he has also won the prestigious junior national title in 2016. And more importantly, he finished second in the senior nationals in 2017. Behind his achievement lie a deep-seated passion for the sport, which has helped him gallop towards stardom.

Such achievements have only been possible with his outright dedication. He has been training at the Embassy International Riding School (EIRS) in Bengaluru for the last one-and-half-years, putting in great hard work after school hours. He trains from 4pm to 5:30pm in the evening, six days a week. 

Being a student, he has faced challenges as well, but his school has been extremely supportive. “Balancing academics and the sport is always a problem. But my school is supportive enough and take care of my attendance. Last year, I had an exam, which clashed with my senior nationals, but the school allowed me to take a re-test after I came back,” Khan told CE. 

In fact, it was Khan’s love for animals and his interest in games, which helped him pick the sport few years ago. Horse riding is an expensive sport, but coming from a well-to-do business family, he did not have to face financial issues. Encouragement from his parents helped him to a great extent. “I started as a 12-year-old. I always had that love for animals and I was also very athletic throughout my childhood. It was a perfect combination of both, so I got into it,” Khan said.

Silva Storai, director of EIRS, who had watched Khan at close quarters is impressed with his commitment and passion. “He is a dedicated and talented rider, and also passionate about what he does. When one talks about him, he is not only about (show) jumping, but also the way he strives to improve himself as a rider. He gets along with chief instructor Kisnics Normunds, who has helped him become better.

Khan is easy to train and coach and that's his strength,” said Storai, who wants equestrian to gain more popularity in India. 

The sport may not be popular unlike other sports in the country, but it is definitely heading in the right direction. It also received a massive boost when India returned with medals from the Asian Games in equestrian. Khan has similar goals — represent India on a consistent basis. He also wants to qualify for the Asian Games and the Olympics, a dream for all riders.