BENGALURU: Captain Anant Rajpurohit of 61 Cavalry won the National Equestrian Championship organised at the ASC Centre and College after a series of 6 jumps in show jumping, recording a jump of 1 meter 40 cm with his partner horse Ace of Spades.
Captain Anant, 25, says, “It was Ace of Spades because you need to play the best card in a match... The win is right before the Asian trials. So, it is a good boost for my morale for the Asian Games next year.”
Anant specialises in eventing, when a single horse and rider compete against others and are marked across three equestrian disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping.
The Captain started riding at 10 under his father N S Rajpurohit who is also a renowned equestrian sportsperson tent pegger. He is deputy commandant and chief instructor of ASC Centre and College.
He says, “I started riding with his horses. My father was a strict trainer. It was difficult. He would videograph the training sessions and then brief me about the mistakes that I made.”
His father N S Rajpurohit says, “It’s a dream come true. I am a ten pegger. I never did eventing. I am happy that he has achieved what I could not achieve. It’s a joy I can’t express.” Major General is also an elected chairman of Asian Equestrian Federation Tent pegging.
Captain Anant joined National Defence Academy after his high school. Later, he joined Indian Military Academy and he got commissioned into Indian Army. He participated in several National Junior Equestrian Championships in India and in Junior Nationals in Australia and Columbia in 2006 and 2008. His father proudly says, “He has won two National Championships. It was his achievements in equestrian sports that helped him be part of 61 Cavalry.” Captain Anant adds, “It is the only mounted cavalry regiment in India which have horses.”
Love for the horses run in the family. Major General NS Rajpurohit, “We are Rajpurohits from Rajasthan. We have the tradition of horse riding. Even our ancestors were into horse riding.” The relationship with the horses are very important for equestrian sports. Captain Anant says, “The equestrain sports require you to coordinate with each other. You need to understand each other. You need to be in sync with your horse.”
Captain Anant started training with the horse Good Boy. He says, “That horse is his favourite. He could probably be for the Asian Games. I would appreciate him when he does well and say Good Boy and that is how I named him Good Boy. I have three horses - Masters, Good Boy and Ace of Spades. I named them all.”