As the May sun rises further up, Sidde Gowda briskly walks up to the paddocks to bring the foals back to the barn. A prankster stallion makes a bid to give the seasoned syce a miss. Gowda doesn’t lose grip over the single-toed speedster, and fondles it with the gentleness of a parent. Doesn’t he ever punish such bad boys in the stable? “What do you mean,” he asks, a bit indignant. “I never harass them. A mild hit, at the most…. Just want them to realise that what they have done is wrong.”
So what’s special about this farm—in Kunigal—with 249 horses with 250-strong staff along the National Highway, 72 kilometres west of Bangalore? Well, there are quite a few things. Just two points, to begin with: it was originally a property of Tipu Sultan and is now run by Vijay Mallya. That tells a lot about a profile that has seen a change of guard from an 18th-century Mysore King to a new-age entrepreneur-politician. Both flashy and controversial.
Tipu (1750-99) established the farm roughly 250 years ago, having inherited the love for equine from his father Hyder Ali. After the death of Tipu, the British took over the farm. Soon it got added lustre, as horses from the UK began to be imported to Kunigal.
Later, in 1881 when the British handed back Mysore state, the royal Wodeyars took over the farm and groomed it. Post Independence, the Karnataka state government absorbed it—the animal husbandry department ran it for a while. Over the years, the infrastructure deteriorated and the public servants found it tough to maintain it. That was when the department handed it over to the Bangalore Turf Club.
Then, in 1992, the government got a spirited man to run it. Liquor baron Mallya took it on lease and started developing the farm. The then chief minister S Bangarappa leased out its 450 acres for `36 lakh per annum to Mallya’s United Racing & Bloodstock Breeders Ltd—for 30 years—until 2022.
Today, Kunigal basks in the glory of having bred several high-pedigree horses. Persian Bold, Bold Russian and Burden of Proof are household names in the country’s racing circles. They have won scores of races for Zeyn Mirza , the boss of United Racing & Bloodstock Breeding—not just in domestic circuits, but abroad as well. Like, in Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai. “In Bangalore winter season alone, we won 48 races last year,” beams the stud’s manager N M Dinesh. “We topped for the seventh consecutive year,” beams the stud manager Dr N M Dinesh.
It may be midsummer now, but that is no excuse for the staff at the stud farm in Kunigal to go slow. Its sprawling and lush-green pastures are abuzz with activity across seasons. In fact, the season of birth is catching up, making official routine all the more busy. As staffer Lokesh Kumar notes, “This is the time we see a bounty of delivery. We help raise the newborns well. They are what give us our bread.”
A high-tech veterinary hospital is functioning round the clock. It has stocked sufficient imported high-protein dry feeds, along with the grass varieties—all organically grown. A reverse osmosis plant ensures smooth and safe supply of well-balanced mineral water. Kunigal, after all, is plain land and accessible.
Chimes in trainer Manvendra Singh, a Rajasthani: “If you manage the bloodline, half your job is done. We have to raise thorough-bred race horses.” Obviously, more records look set to tumble.