A difficult terrain and a long ride tested the endurance of both man and beast, at the second Gujarat Equestrian Endurance Championship held at Ambod Village near Gandhinagar.
The event organised by the Equestrian Club of Gujarat (ECG) had 20 km open championship for women and senior citizens and a junior championship for youth below the age of 17.
Nineteen participants, including three women, four juniors and a senior citizen aged 62, qualified for the 20-km race. The 20 km category was won by Purvi Shah while the juniors' category was won by Raj Patel, 13. The main 40-km championship was won by the father-son duo of Prakash andPruthvi Barot who came first and second respectively.
The championship entailed very interesting rural course that threw up different levels of hardship as the terrain changed continuously. The race started atop a hill that was followed by a steep descent before veering off to the riverbed. The soft riverbed posed an entirely different kind of challenge for both animal and the rider. This was followed by a track along the ravines and gorges.
"The motive was to promote equestrian sports in the state and also the participation of animals in sports rather than mere shows," said Virendra Kankariya of ECG.
ECG will also organise India's biggest cattle fair at Ambod which will see over 25,000 animals like horses, buffaloes, cows and camels being displayed and sold over 12 days.
My take
Performance does not come naturally to animals. In order to perform the animals are subjected to severe cruelty. Owners drive performance through fear, pain, etc. It is sad to see that articles like these do not mention any of these details. On the contrary, such events are shown as a thrilling experience for the animals. The readers ought to see the real picture of animal sports, shows, etc.
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