The Indian Eventing team gained a slight edge over host Thailand after the Dressage tests in the FEI Asian Championships Pattaya 2025 on Monday. India was in second place with 99.0 points, with a 4.2 point advantage over the home side, but a substantial 6.8 points behind the formidable Hong Kong.
With China and Japan not in the fray in the team competition, the experienced Thailand squad – winner of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games team bronze – was expected to lay the gauntlet down for both Hong Kong and India. However, led by Patrick Lam on Jockey Club Highdown March and Annie Ho on Evita AP, Hong Kong opened up a good lead.
Four-time Olympian Alex Hua Tian, who won the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games gold medal on Poseidon Admiral two years ago, lead the charts after the Dressage test. Riding an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse Manjushri, he logged 72.8 per cent to have 27.2 points, 1.6 points fewer than Thailand’s Olympian Korntawat Samran (Thailand) on B.Grimm Billy Elmy.
The Ashish Limaye-Willy Be Dun pair turned in a better dressage test than the Patrick Lam and Jockey Club Highdown March combine to be placed third with 29.4 points, 0.7 points fewer than the Olympian from Hong Kong. It must be said that Ashish Limaye-Willy Be Dun have had better scores in Dressage, notably in the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
The England-based Shashank Kanumuri, making his debut in a continental event at 20 years of age, teamed up with 8-year-old British Hanoverian Wellfields Casino Royale to be placed sixth spot with 31.7 points while the Australia-based Shashank Kataria (on Bullseye) was 15th with 37.9 points.
The Cross-Country test will be held in the B Grimm Cross Country Field in the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club on Tuesday and the Jumping test on Wednesday afternoon after the second horse inspection that morning. India can land a team medal if all three rider-horse combinations complete the two tests.
The standings (after Dressage):
Team: 1. Hong Kong 92.2, 2. India 99.0, 3. Thailand 103.2.
Individual: 1. Alex Hua Tian (China) on Manjushri 27.2; 2. Korntawat Samran (Thailand) on B.Grimm Billy Elmy 28.8; 3. Ashish Limaye (India) on Willy Be Dun 29.4; 6. Shashank Kanumuri (India) on Wellfields Casino Royale 31.7; 15. Shashank Singh Kataria (India) on Bullseye 37.9.
Photo: Screengrab of official live stream
