CHENNAI: Equestrian enthusiasts in town, here’s some exciting news. The lush green campus of Chennai Equestrian Centre in Sholinganallur will play host to a three-day horse show from March 6 to March 8. Around 30 km from the city, this seven-acre plot is tucked away from the bustling traffic of the IT corridor. With 50 horses and a team of five coaches who specialise in different areas of horse riding, this centre, founded by veteran polo player Kishore Futnani in 2000, has shaped the interest of many horse riders and played a significant role in encouraging the sport. 

The first horse show was organised in Chennai by Futnani at the Officers Training Academy in 1998. Over the past two decades, more than 10 big horse shows have been organised. South India’s best riders from prestigious horse-riding clubs in Bengaluru, Puducherry, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Chennai are expected to take part.  The participants will be judged on their skills over a breathtaking show-jumping course. The Police and Officers Training Academy will also bring their powerful horses to compete in this exclusive tournament. The judges for the event are KCS Reddy from Hyderabad and Sunil Shivdas from Ooty, the only four-star dressage judge in India.

“We’re conducting a race after three years. You will also see young horse riders — some as young as five years and above  —competing in pony events. The horses will be brought in special trucks since participants prefer their own horses. This is the only Olympic sport where women and men compete in the same category on equal terms. We have an equal number of women riders,” said Isabelle Futnani, who handles corporate workshops. The event will witness dressage and show jumping. Younger talents are also encouraged to get a feel of the sport and spend time with the horses. 

“It’s an expensive hobby and the horses are difficult to maintain. The competition will assess the ommunication and compatibility between the horse and the rider. It’s more about the mental than physical strength. The participants will be assessed based on number of successful jumps against the hurdles,” she said. Entry is free. For details, visit: allevents.in