The Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) confirmed that Anush Agarwalla, a medallist at the Asian Games, has secured a Paris Olympics quota for the country in the dressage discipline.
Agarwalla, who clinched a groundbreaking individual bronze in dressage at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, earned the quota based on his impressive performances in four FEI events: Wroclaw, Poland (73.485%), Kronenberg, Netherlands (74.4%), Frankfurt, Germany (72.9%), and Mechelen, Belgium (74.2%). The quota is allocated to the nation, and the EFI will organize a final trial to determine the Indian representative for the Paris Olympics.
“I am very proud and grateful to have been successful for securing a berth for India at the Paris Olympic Games. Competing in the Olympics has always been a childhood dream for me and I’m proud to be part of this historical moment for the nation,” the 24-year-old Agarwalla said in a release.
The young rider hoped that he will be able to retain the quota.
“I will continue doing what I have always been doing: staying focused, being disciplined, working hard, setting goals and achieving them. I am confident that I will be selected to represent India at this prestigious stage,” Agarwalla said.
EFI Secretary General Col Jaiveer Singh extended congratulations to Agarwalla for his achievement. Previously, Darya Singh (1980 Moscow), Indrajit Lamba (1996 Atlanta), Imtiaaz Anees (2000 Sydney), and Fouaad Mirza (2022 Tokyo) had represented India at the Olympics. In the dressage event, the rider-horse duo performs in a 20m x 60m arena bordered by a low rail, which the horse must stay within.
The arena features 12 lettered markers symmetrically placed, indicating where movements start, changes to pace occur, and where movements end. There are seven stages: preliminary, elementary, medium, advanced medium, advanced, Prix St George, and Intermediate-I. Scoring ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 indicating very poor and 10 excellent performance.