E-Paper
Vora, Agarwalla make history, first Indians to compete in individual dressage
Agarwalla was 28th and Vora stood 33rd in the standings of the quadrennial competition being held in Denmark's Herning. The live results were still being updated with the competition still on at the time of going to press, which means the final positions can change.
Equestrians Shruti Vora and Anush Agarwalla made history on Saturday, becoming the first Indians to compete in an individual dressage event at the World Equestrian Championships.
Agarwalla was 28th and Vora stood 33rd in the standings of the quadrennial competition being held in Denmark's Herning. The live results were still being updated with the competition still on at the time of going to press, which means the final positions can change.
Vora, 51, represented India at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon where she finished eighth. She took up the sport early, but went on a 14-year break to raise her family. She returned to competitive sport in 2010. Astride Denightron, Vora secured an average of 64.534%.
If Agarwalla manages to hold on to his top-30 position, he will advance to the Grand Prix special stage, which is the medal round. The gold-medallist is crowned the individual world champion.
The top 15 in the Grand Prix special progress to the Grand Prix freestyle and the winner is called the freestyle world champion.
The 22-year-old rode 15-year-old Sir Caramello OLD on his world championships debut. He averaged 66.832%.
Agarwalla was introduced to the sport at the age of three in Kolkata and later moved to Germany to train.
Isabell Werth of Germany is the reigning individual champion while Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin, a two-time Olympic champion, will be aiming for a second world title after 2014.
Werth, 53, is a six-time Olympian and a 12-time Olympics medallist, which includes seven gold and five silver medals. Her rich haul makes Werth the most successful equestrian athlete at the Games. She also has 11 World Championships medals.
