Equestrian: Raju Singh secures spot in Asian Continental Championships

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Raju Singh stole the spotlight at the FEI Concours Complet International (CCI) (short) event, held at 61 Cavalry in Jaipur, clinching two podium finishes to dominate the competition and securing a spot at next year’s Asian Continental Championships in Pattaya, Thailand. Singh secured first place with his horse Mawillan and a close second with Matakali, cementing his superiority in the prestigious event, that took place from December 15-18. Showcasing their prowess, Singh, Pradeep Kumar and Kumabhar Mahesh K Sharayu also successfully met the challenging Minimum Eligibility Requirements - by completing the event with penalties of 48 or less - and will make up the Indian team at the Asian Continental Championships. On the display of the riders, EFI Secretary General Col. Jaiveer Singh said, "The exceptional performances witnessed here in Jaipur reflect the growing calibre of equestrian sports in India. Raju Singh, Pradeep Kumar, and Kumabhar Mahesh K Sharayus’s success in this event is a significant milestone, and their achievements, especially with the MER qualification of the Indian team, set an inspiring precedent for the upcoming Asian Championship in Pattaya." Competing in the Dressage Test, Show Jumping, and Cross Country in back-to-back days, Singh took the top podium in the latter with horse Mawillan and second place with horse Matakli, accumulating 38.8 and 40.6 penalty points, respectively. Kumar followed with horse Parinda in third place with 42.3 penalty points, while Sharayu, with horse Indian Glory, also finished within the MER with a score of 46.7.

Furthermore, in the Dressage Test, Kumar restricted himself to a prudent 33.5 penalty points, ahead of both Singh and Sharayu. Meanwhile, Singh prolonged his outstanding display by also taking the top two spots in Show Jumping, scoring 38.4 with Mawillan and 40.6 with Matakali. Lt Col Ashish Malik, riding on De Baune De Landette, finished third in Show Jumping with a score of 41.1. The competition witnessed remarkable performances from a diverse group of riders, especially in the Cross Country section. Neel Kamal, riding Rajpal Singh Rock, secured fifth place with a score of 55.0, followed closely by Vishwanath P Shankar on Amar with 55.4.Shiva Hooda, aboard Velocity, finished seventh with 57.4, while Rana Pratap Singh on Galib claimed eighth place with 67.1. Lt Col Apurva Dabhade, riding Sayaji, ended in ninth with a score of 106.0, and Vishwanath P Shankar, competing on Param, rounded out the top ten with 133.4.