This girl galloped to glory in Thrissur
Brilliant! Girls’ education is galloping ahead...A clip that deserves to go viral globally. This, too, is #IncredibleIndia.”
Anand Gopal Mahindra, industrialist
But then
I too can be a horse owner. You never know. You need to dream big to achieve a modicum of success.”
Krishna Ajay
Call me a misogynist, a deviant, or by any other sobriquet of your choice. Doesn’t matter. I would still say I can’t stand the sight of a horsewoman. No, it isn’t a congenital disorder, but an acquired syndrome that’s commonly called ENVY.
My father was a horse lover who had burned his fingers betting at the iconic Mahalakshmi Racecourse in Mumbai in the ’60s. I too love horses. I consider them one of the most beautiful, intelligent and emotive animals on the planet. Everything about the animal is mesmeric… and pricey too. I have watched scores of equestrian movies, including The Horse Whisperer, The Black Stallion and a string of Westerns from Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, the most famous cowboys of the movie world.
Watching horses is like reading fine poetry. The beautiful sight and sound of a team of horses galloping in tandem, their hooves rhythmically kicking up a cloud of dust or a burst of water spray, is a refreshing experience. I had such posters in my bedroom which had my eyes and ears for hours on end. Still, I can’t stand the sight of a horsewoman. I have a reason. It’s the hurt, stupid!
We were probably 12, when my cousin and I set out exploring the countryside in our hometown. After a long walk, we found ourselves in the middle of an infinite swathe of lush green paddy fields. My cousin nudged me as he spotted something in the far end of the narrow pathway merging into a sea of blue.
“Looks like a girl mounted on a horse,” he said as he craned his neck to get a clearer picture. My heart pounded as the horse galloped into our focal point. Astride the steed was a girl of our age, her eyes staring into the distance and long wavy locks flying backwards in a gust of wind. We stepped into the waters to make way for her. I kind of drowned in a whirlpool of girly attitude and heady perfume left behind by the rider.
As she disappeared behind us with her body swinging with the horse’s motion at the trot, I turned to my cousin and said: “We must buy a horse, one day.” We never bought one, but every time I visited the cousin who is now a professor, we had a hearty laugh about the girl who, he had found out, hailed from an affluent family in the area. But the hurt stayed in my heart until as recent as this week when I chanced upon a video that went viral in a couple of days after it was posted on Facebook.
The short clip shows a girl, wearing a school uniform and with a bag strapped to her back, riding a horse to sit for her board exams — as was narrated in the audio. The video wowed me for two reasons. One, she hailed from my own district in Kerala where children never went to school on horseback and one may not be able to tell a horse from a donkey. Two, she carried a certain air of command — not attitude — that left an impression that this girl is worth her salt.
As the video caught the attention of Anand Gopal Mahindra, chairman of the Mumbai-based conglomerate Mahindra Group, the industrialist not only congratulated her, but also wanted to use her photo as a screen saver on his mobile. “Does anyone in Thrissur know this girl? I want a picture of her and her horse as my screen saver. She’s my hero. The sight of her charging to school filled me with optimism for the future,” he tweeted.
“Brilliant! Girls’ education is galloping ahead... A clip that deserves to go viral globally. This, too, is #IncredibleIndia,” he added.
When I caught up with the girl from Mala in Thrissur on the phone, she was too busy meeting people from Mahindra & Mahindra who had come down to convey the chairman’s greetings and take a few snaps. “It’s the proudest moment ever,” she says about the Mahindra head honcho’s remark. “I didn’t expect the clip posted by my trainer to have such a positive impact.”
Krishna Ajay’s first encounter with a horse was at Dr Raju Davis International School where horse riding was mandatory on Wednesdays. Temple priest Ajay Kalindhi’s daughter, who was studying in Grade 7 at that time, was horrified at her first attempt. But the thought that “If boys can, why can’t I?” instigated her to give it another try. And another try. And the rest is history.
When Krishna’s father that realised his only child was deeply love with horses, he gifted her a 6-month-old white foal on her 12th birthday. She named her Jhansi Rani. Her mother, a housewife, wasn’t on board in the beginning. Both Krishna and Rani were groomed by trainers Dani David and Abhijith Kottapuram who she calls her godsend brothers. “I don’t have brothers. They are my brothers and best friends. There are a few other good friends in the horse lovers’ community groups on social media,” Krishna says.
“We sold Rani two years later as she was disobedient, after which I was distraught. So a filly named Janvi was gifted to me on my last birthday. At the same time, I was on the lookout for a white horse as I missed Rani badly. That search took me to Rana Krish, a colt that wasn’t exactly white.
“It’s was love at first sight. Rana Krish looked at me and talked to me. So I took him home,” says Krishna, now the proud owner of two horses. And how much did she pay for the horse? “Please don’t ask. We cannot put a value on a dream,” she shot back.
Horse riding isn’t a bed of roses, says Krishna. “It’s really hard work. A countless number of falls, innumerable kicks, hours of training and perseverance. That’s how I reached this far. We train on a sand turf where village boys play football.
“Every time I would fall, neighbours and relatives would ask my parents if they wanted to kill their only child. But I was resolute because I was in love (with horses). Nobody can take the horse away from my life. In my life ahead, it will always have a role. The horse is my soulmate,” says the 15-year-old magpie.
Talking about the future, Krishna says she wishes to be a part-time jockey. She already has offers to train as a professional jockey from places like Mysore. “But then, I too can be a horse owner. You never know. You need to dream big to achieve a modicum of success,” argues the 10th grader who has heard of the Dubai World Cup.
Krishna, who loves travelling, doesn’t own a motorbike or a bicycle, so she rides her horse even to the grocer. “It’s a great feeling when I do things different from other kids. It’s great to be unique.”
The young, spontaneous lady sounded like a horse whisperer as she talked about her compatriots. “There are lots of girls out there who want to learn to ride, but they don’t want to after a fall or two. Perseverance is the key. You need to keep trying until you overcome the fear factor. Believe in yourself.”
This girl has helped me dust off the dirt that had gathered over my perspective. Her inspiring story of determination and empowerment has healed my wounds. Carry on girl.