This story, as the adage goes, isn’t just about the destination, but more about the journey. This is the story of a fifteen-year-old who from a young age of four, has been nurturing dreams of being an equestrienne — a passion that stemmed from the love for animals, particularly horses. “The first time I sat on the horse, I was very much drawn to the sport,” she says. From then, the sport became an indispensable part of her life.
Miraya Dadabhoy is a young talent who has etched an indelible mark in the field of equestrian sports. She secured team gold at the Junior National Equestrian Championship in December 2024 and bagged the title of Best Asian Youth Rider at the FEI World Dressage Challenge, an international event. Dressage, she believes, is a game of accuracy and discipline. Her diligence and industriousness also ranked her World No 5 in youth at the FEI World Dressage Challenge, achieving an impressive score of 72.325%.
Miraya feels fortunate enough to learn the intricacies of horse training and competitions from her coach. “The training became a lot more different. My training is very focused, and it’s a very professional training environment compared to someone who is riding for fun.”
Riding as a form of art
Art can be hewn out from any work that we do with utmost zeal. For Miraya, the equestrian sport is equivalent to a work of art. “The sport is beautiful to look at. It’s an art. There’s a lot of precision and harmony.”
Miraya’s close engagement with horses helped her have a good grasp of them. “There are a lot of technical skills — being able to focus and understanding how to communicate with the horse.”
Mutual respect is an integral part of building relationships, which indeed is an important part of horse riding. Just like understanding the mood of a friend or a partner, interpreting the state of mind of a horse is quite a delicate aspect. “Whether it’s giving it a carrot, or tacking up the horse, putting on the saddle and bridle, you figure out your horse’s mood, energy levels, and its feeling that day.”
By drawing parallels, she says, “Like, you figure out how the boss is feeling. You start to understand the body language. The partnership is built on trust and clear communication. So you have to just work on it, and it’s a lot of spending time together.”
Rigorous and relentless rehearsals are part of her everyday life. “I leave my house around 5. I get to the riding school or the stables by around 5.30, and I have 20 minutes to spend time with the horse and get it ready for the 6 am class. I’m on the horse 10 minutes before class to allow it to see the arena, walk with him.” The training, she says, is all about groundwork, pull work, and stretching.
This sport, is often viewed as a sport for the privileged due to the high costs of training, equipment, and horse care. However, the 15-year-old says that the state government has acknowledged their wins. “This recognition means a lot to this sport and helps this sport grow. People are learning about the school and how it is accessible in Chennai. We are getting a lot of amazing horses and trainers. Around India, there are a lot of international standard arenas where we get to compete.”
She adds, “Last year was the first year they recognised riding as a sport, and I was so lucky to be able to be one of the riders to be recognised.” Her talent and determination have been recognised by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu under their High Cash Incentive Scheme for emerging athletes. With the right resources and support, Miraya continues her journey navigating challenges and bringing pride to India on the global stage.
Planning and maintaining balance is the foundation of her life, a life where art, writing, and sports have an equal share of importance.