Traditionally, equestrianism has always been seen as an elitist sports, meant for the royals and the ruling class, being taken up by members of the elite society and the Army. However, with horse-riding schools like the Fort William Riding Institute (FWRI) in Kolkata making efforts to reach out to the urban masses and the average sports freak at large, equestrian sport is showing every sign of achieving more and more exposure and acceptibility.

The FWRI is one of the premier riding schools in India and hosted the successfully-organised National Equestrian Championship 2008, Army Championship and the 56th Kolkata Horse Show last week.

And in its endeavour to reach out to the public, the institute provided enthusiastic riders the opportunity to showcase their talent in the just-concluded multi-event. Says Lt Col Jyoti Dhawan, who is the secretary of the FWRI: “Earlier on, equestrianism was considered as a sport meant only for the rajas and the Army. However, we have opened it up to the general public.”

The Kolkata-based institute conducts classes for both children and adults, and in the process, is trying all that it can to take the sport to the masses. Lt Col Dhawan goes on to add: “When I joined, there were around 10 to 15 students, but now we have close to 50 people who come regularly and are trained by us here.”

Despite the limited exposure equestrianism enjoys all across the country, Indians are quite good at the sport, reckons Col NS Raj Purohit, who himself is a distinguished horseman and former secretary of the national federation. He feels that the riders at the Under-21 circuit in India are probably among the best in the world.

The problem with a less-celebrated sport in India is always sponsorship, and equestrianism faces the same impediment here. As a result of a constant lack of funds, riders are forced to compete with sub-standard horses in poor conditions, and this is where their European counterparts are way ahead.

“I have long said that the sponsors need to develop horse-sense,” opines Col Purohit. He is of the opinion that even if the riders had the money to go to Europe and compete on leased horses, they would be much better off.