Asiad Bonding with my horse is the most beautiful part of Dressage for me: Asiad Bronze medalist Equestrian Anush Agarwalla
Kolkata/IBNS: Indian equestrian Anush Agarwalla scripted history by winning the country's first medal, a bronze, at the Dressage Individual Event in Asian Games 2023 last month.
Anush, 23, and his horse Etro won the bronze at the TL Equestrian Center in Hangzhou becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the category.
Anush Agarwalla (L) and journalist G Rajaraman (R) | Image by Avishek Mitra
Speaking at an event in Kolkata recently, Anush shared how his "amazing" bond with Etro played a key role in his achievements.
Anush says, "I started riding Etro only in February this year. So we had a young partnership. I think the Asian Games was the seventh or eighth event and the fourth or fifth international show all together. We gelled really well from the beginning. I felt very safe with him. I am grateful to him.
"Our first show was really not good and it taught me a lot from the riding point of view as well as mentally. I just feel we shared an amazing bond and that's the most beautiful part of the sport for me."
Anush won the bronze after registering a score of 73.060 percentage points.
Days before winning bronze, Anush was a part of a 15-member Dressage Team which won the Gold in the Dressage Team event.
Anush Agarwalla | Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS
In an interactive session held in the city, Anush revealed his journey in this sport started not very seriously but as a hobby.
He said, "I did not have the typical riding journey like someone from Europe. I am the only one who is riding from my family. My parents used to take me to the Tollygunge Club (in Kolkata) at a very young age. It was more like a weekend thing to spend time with the family and slowly it started turned into a passion.
"I started taking lessons but it was all for a hobby. At the age between 11 and 16, I used to travel to New Delhi every weekend to get trained. At the age of 16, I decided to move to New Delhi completing my class 10 board examinations. It was then I realised my goal was to compete at the Asian Games and Olympics."
(From L to R) Journalist Boria Majumdar, Anush Agarwalla and G Rajaraman | Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS
"In early 2017, we realised as a family that I was nowhere near to the level where I had to be to be able to participate at such events and that's when we decided all together to move to Germany," Anush added.
(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)
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