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Army’s best horses for Bangla
Dhaka may be dependent on China for its arms supplies, but for horses it has turned to India, which has promptly obliged.
Dhaka may be dependent on China for its arms supplies, but for horses it has turned to India, which has promptly obliged.
‘Aarzoo’ and ‘Valiant’ — Hanoverian stallions worth over a crore each — will trot into Bangladesh soon, along with four pedigreed mares to help General Moeen U Ahmed’s army breed top quality showjumpers and eventers.
Responding to a request from Dhaka, the Army has picked the best from its stables — the horses are touted to be the top bloodlines in the country. Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor will hand them over to the visiting Bangladesh army chief on February 25.
Lieutenant General Narayan Mohanty, director general, Remount and Veterinary Services, dubbed it a goodwill gesture to promote equestrian sports in Bangladesh.
“The horses have been specially selected to produce sporting horses for their army,” he said.
Hanoverian stallions are seen in Olympic events and world-class equestrian championships.
Unlike the stallions, the mares are too young and have not been given names yet. But they are of formidable pedigree. Their fathers — Old Gold, Angel Volcano, Valentine and My Luck — have produced several world-class stallions. The mares are worth Rs 35-40 lakh each.
Valiant is a thoroughbred with ancestors of interest. The Russians gifted Sumrak, his grandfather, to Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1960.
The horses will travel 1,527 km in three military trucks before they are handed over to the Bangladesh army at the Haridaspur post in West Bengal.
