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Shruti Vora clinches silver at Asian Continental Championships
Astride Magnanimous, Vora scored 70.147 to finish behind China’s Sarah Rao (73.794) in the Intermediate I - Dressage Individual event
New Delhi: Ace Indian equestrian athlete Shruti Vora clinched the individual silver medal at the ongoing Asian Continental Equestrian Championships in Thailand’s Pattaya on Thursday.
The experienced rider, astride her 13-year-old gelding Magnanimous, scored 70.147 to finish behind China’s Sarah Rao (73.794) in the Intermediate I - Dressage Individual event. Thailand’s Pakjira Thongpakdi was third with a tally of 69.118.
The other Indians in the 22-strong start list — Divyakriti Singh and Gaurav Pundir — had decent outings as well, finishing 5th and 16th, respectively. Riding her 12-year-old gelding Improver, Singh averaged 68.588 while Pundir, on his 17-year-old gelding Electro, scored 63.853.
In dressage, the rider-horse combination performs in an arena of 20m x 60m, bordered by a low rail which the horse must stay within. The horse and rider show the paces — walk, trot and canter — and are judged on the smoothness in transitioning. The event is competed across seven stages — preliminary, elementary, medium, advanced medium, advanced, Prix St George and Intermediate I — and the scoring is done on a scale of 1 to 10.
Vora’s routine reflected balance, rhythm, and smooth transitions, traits that she displayed just two days earlier when she guided India to a team silver in the Dressage Prix St Georges (PSG) event on the opening day of the competition (November 25). Together with Singh and Pundir, the Indian trio had combined for a total of 204.059 to secure the second spot on the continental stage.
Vora scored 70.882 in the team event to finish second overall in the Prix St. Georges standings, placing her once again behind China’s Rao, who topped the field with a strong 71.382 on her stallion Geniaal. Singh, riding Improver, scored 67.118 to be 11th, showing a composed and technically sound ride that added valuable depth to India’s team score. Pundir, on Electro, contributed 66.059, finishing 13th.
Regarded as the highest expression of horse training, where the horse and the rider perform from memory a series of predetermined movements and routines which are set to music, the rider-horse pair in dressage events are evaluated on intangibles such as aesthetics and grace, all of which require impeccable co-ordination between the rider and horse.
Vora’s medal marks an important milestone for India’s equestrian programme, particularly in dressage — a discipline that has seen steady growth over the last few years.
The country’s stocks in Asian dressage received a major boost two years back when India won a team gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Days later, Anush Agarwalla became India’s first individual medallist in dressage when he won the Asiad bronze. Last year, both Vora and Agarwalla were jousting for a solitary Olympics berth, which eventually went to Agarwalla despite both riders having secured the required MERs (minimum eligibility requirements).
Having missed the Paris Olympics by a whisker, the twin medals will come as a major boost for 54-year-old Vora. Her performance reaffirmed her growing stature in Asian dressage and sets her up nicely for what promises to be a crucial 2026 that will have the Asian Games in Japan.
