The Shruti Vora-Magnanimous combination made Dressage history for India by claiming its third silver medal in the third FEI Asian Equestrian Championships at the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club in Pattaya, Thailand, on Sunday. They scored 73.800 per cent in Intermediate I Freestyle to Music to finish behind Chinese rider Sarah Rao and Genuiaal (79.180).
Shruti Vora and Magnanimous had led India to silver in the team competition with a good showing in the Prix St. Georges test (70.882 per cent) on Tuesday before taking the second place in the Intermediate I test with a 70.147 per cent score on Thursday. Performing to choreography by Helen Langehanenberg, they secured their best score in four Freestyle starts.
Given that Indians were competing in the Asian Championships for the first time and considering that Asian Games awards individual medals only after Freestyle, the three silver haul is the best showing by an Indian rider in a continental event after Raghubir Singh’s twin gold medals in the 1982 Asian Games.
“All the three days have been fantastic,” Shruti Vora said of her horse, a 13-year-old Dark Bay gelding who is stabled in Germany. She was addressing the official press conference. “If the judges award me a 6, it does not come from the horse but from me since I am not based in Europe. Magnanimous is so brilliant and I am so blessed to have him in my life.”
Trained by Olympian Maj. Jitendarjit Singh ‘Jolly’ Ahluwalia (retd.) to Grand Prix level, the 13-year-old Magnanimous has been in the care of Germany’s 2012 Olympic Games team silver medalist Helen Langehanenberg over the last two years. It won the hearts of the audience and the judges alike with his regal presence and impeccable performance. Shruti Vora candidly acknowledged her gratitude to them for their efforts.
The music that Helen Langehanenberg chose for the test with a high degree of difficulty included classical strains from movie tracks after a powerful start from the Lawrence of Arabia that Shruti Vora wanted. The horse and rider executed the test with elegance, a slightly early finish perhaps costing them a percentage point or two.
Divyakriti Singh, India’s first rider with podium finishes in the team events in the Asian Games and the Asian Equestrian Championships, placed fifth with a 71.605 per cent score on Improver while the Gaurav Pundir-Electro combine ended up in the 16th place with 65.560 per cent score.
The attention now shifts to Eventing where India will be represented by Shashank Kataria (astride Bullseye), Shashank Kanamuri (Wellfields Casino Royale) and Ashish Limaye (Willy Be Dun). The team will be up against squads from Hong Kong China and Thailand. There are 16 riders in contention for the individual prize.
It can be said without fear of contradiction that the Asian Championships 2025 will most certainly be remembered for the exploits of the Shruti Vora-Magnanimous combination. The triple silver treat may have soothed some of the rider’s pain at missing out on competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The results (Dressage Intermediate I Freestyle): 1. Sarah Rao (China) on Geniaal 79.180; 2. Shruti Vora (India) and Magnanimous 73.800; 3. Pakjira Thongpakdi (Thailand) on Samira O 72.505; 5. Divyakriti Singh (India) on Improver 71.605; 16. Gaurav Pundir (India) on Electro 65.560.
Photo: Screengrab from official stream
Just to have the facts right
The horse was trained to Grand Prix Level only by Major JS Ahluwalia(Retd) who
Also Competed at that level with Magnanimous named and owned by me as well
On moving back to
India The horse was left in care of Helen when he was already competing at GP level and I continued training both Shruti and Magnanimous in Germany and India during several visits and right upto and during Asian Continental Championships at Pattaya as well . I would therefore request you to have the facts right
Thank you, Sir. Have made the correction,
I should have also mentioned the brief training stint in 2023 with Portuguese Joana do Vale in Germany.
Warm regards.
Rajaraman