Pretty 'Dajara 4' to accompany Mirza at Tokyo Games

Mirza said that he is solely focused on their preparations for the upcoming Games

Equestrian Fouaad Mirza announced on Thursday that he had chosen young mare Dajara 4 to accompany him at the Tokyo Games beginning July 23.

Ending the dilemma of choosing between two of his favourite horses, the 29-year-old from Bengaluru made the tough decision to leave out the experienced gelding Seigneur Medicott - with whom he had won two silver medals at the 2018 Asian Games.

“It was a difficult decision to make as both the horses are really good. However, at the Olympics, we have two rounds of show jumping after cross-country which probably is Medicott’s weaker link. That was basically the main reason why we picked Dajara. I’m confident that we have made a wise choice,” Mirza said at a virtual press conference.

Only the third Indian equestrian after Indrajit Lamba and Imtiaz Anees to secure an individual Olympic spot in Eventing, Mirza added that he is solely focused on their preparations for the upcoming Games.

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“Dajara competed last weekend in the Nation’s Cup in Poland, where she finished second. She will have a week off to recover. We will not change too many things in terms of routine but prepare as we would for any other show. The only difference being that both the horses go into quarantine at a different location for seven days beginning July 11 in Aachen, Germany,” he said. “We have got to keep the intensity high. In terms of Dajara’s fitness, she is already fit and we will not push too hard or overdo it to avoid upsetting the horse and her form,” he stressed.

It was in 2019 that the Arjuna awardee first saw and rode Dajara. “I knew it right away that she was a top horse. She is extremely talented and is starting to show her potential and skill,” said Mirza.

The team headed to Tokyo along with Dajara consists of four individuals whose event is set to begin on August 1. “We have a veterinary doctor, a physiotherapist, the groom and myself. We are the people now entrusted to keep her calm and comfortable in a new environment,” he explained.

While Mirza termed his maiden Olympic qualification as a dream come true, he hopes the sport grabs more attention among Indians and confident that Dajara will have a huge role to play in that direction.

“We are on the road to creating history and she is the horse who will help us get there. She is a nice and pretty horse who will bring attention to the sport and hopefully encourage the younger generation to take up equestrian,” said Mirza.

Speaking at the occasion, Jitu Virwani, CMD, Embassy Group, the main sponsor for Mirza, said: “We have seen him as a young lad in our riding stables. He has been an extremely disciplined cadet which makes me more convinced that an Olympic medal is right around the corner. I’m so glad to be sponsoring him.”