Lara Zijl 
New Delhi, Bharat: In a remarkable display of equestrian excellence, Raju Singh dominated the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) Concours Complet International (CCI) 3* (short) event held at 61 Cavalry, Jaipur from December 15 to 18. Singh secured two podium finishes, earning a place at the upcoming Asian Continental Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.
Singh clinched first place with his horse Mawillan and a close second with Matakali, solidifying his dominance at the prestigious event. The Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) highlighted Singh’s achievement in a recent press release.
Demonstrating their equestrian prowess, Singh, along with Pradeep Kumar and Kumabhar Mahesh K Sharayu, met the challenging Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER) by completing the event with penalties of 48 or fewer. This trio will represent India at the Asian Continental Championships.
Commenting on the riders’ performances, 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 Sharayu’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 events over consecutive days, Singh took the top podium in Cross Country with Mawillan and second place with Matakli, accumulating 38.8 and 40.6 penalty points respectively. Kumar, with horse Parinda, followed in third place with 42.3 penalty points, while Sharayu, riding Indian Glory, also finished within the MER with a score of 46.7.
In the Dressage Test, Kumar led with 33.5 penalty points, ahead of both Singh and Sharayu. Singh continued his outstanding performance by securing the top two spots in Show Jumping with scores of 38.4 (Mawillan) and 40.6 (Matakali). Lt Col Ashish Malik finished third in Show Jumping with De Baune De Landette, scoring 41.1.
The competition featured impressive performances from a diverse group of riders. Notable mentions include Neel Kamal on Rajpal Singh Rock in fifth place with 55.0 points, Vishwanath P Shankar on Amar in sixth place with 55.4 points, and Shiva Hooda on Velocity in seventh place with 57.4 points. Rana Pratap Singh on Galib claimed eighth place with 67.1 points, Lt Col Apurva Dabhade on Sayaji finished ninth with 106.0 points, and Vishwanath P Shankar on Param rounded out the top ten with 133.4 points.
