New Delhi : The Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) has selected Anush Agarwal to represent the country in the dressage event at the upcoming Paris Olympics. This decision marks a historic first for India, as previous Olympic participants have competed primarily in eventing categories.
Anush Agarwal was chosen over veteran rider Shruti Vora based on a thorough evaluation of their recent performances. Agarwal consistently performed well since the qualification period began last year, achieving the minimum eligibility score four times. In contrast, Vora earned the required Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) twice this month. When their averages were calculated, Agarwal emerged as the clear winner with a score of 67.695 percent, surpassing Vora's 67.163 percent.
According to EFI's criteria, riders must achieve a minimum of 67 percent twice between January 1, 2023, and June 24, 2024, to qualify for the Paris Games. If multiple athletes meet this criterion, the rider with the highest average from their best four events over the past year is selected. Only scores from FEI level competitions and above are considered.
Agarwal's notable performances include scores of 67.936 percent in Wiesbaden (May 2024), 68.261 percent in Mechelen (December 2023), 67.152 percent in Frankfurt (December 2023), and 67.804 percent in Wroclaw (October 2023). The Executive Council unanimously approved his selection, with the President giving his seal of approval.
Shruti Vora, riding Magnanimous, earned her second MER this year by finishing second at the Brno Grand Prix in the Czech Republic with a score of 68.174 percent. Her first MER was achieved earlier this month when she won the Dressage World Cup, a three-star Grand Prix event in Lipica, Slovenia, with a score of 67.761 percent. However, her other performances (66.543 and 66.174 points) were below the MER level.
India's participation in the equestrian events at the Olympics includes Fawad Mirza at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Imtiaz Anees at the 2000 Sydney Games, Inderjit Lamba at the 1996 Atlanta Games, and Jitenderjit Singh Ahluwalia, Hussain Singh, Mohammad Khan, and Dariya Singh at the 1980 Moscow Games.
