Young rider in action
LOOKING at her appearance, many may not think that Nur Qasrina Amani Zakaria, 18, has been a part of the national endurance riding team competing in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
Sharing her sweet moment, the Foundation in Business student at Management and Science University (MSU) said she had been in the same team with Sultan Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, who won the gold medal.
The fourth of five siblings said her addiction to endurance riding started when she was 12 and got a chance to watch a polo match at the Royal Selangor Polo Club (RSPC), Ampang. She was amazed by the thrilling and nerve-wracking action of the players.
“In 2016, for the first time, my parents allowed me to compete for the SEA Games qualifiers in the 40km category at Paya Indah Wetlands using an Arabian horse, Commander, which was rented from my father’s best friend.
“I qualified for it and since then, me and my brother Muhammad Yusuf Luqman have continued to compete in various tournaments and even selected to be part of the Endurance Malaysia team for the 2017 SEA Games.”
Nur Qasrina admits that endurance riding is a great test of self-restraint and high self-discipline, which include long distance of about 120 to 160km and different terrain factors.
“Other than mental and physical preparation, the horse must be in good condition including undergoing veterinary check. Other than that, through training, technique and balanced skills can also help the athlete to focus and win the race.”
One of the toughest competitions was during the Junior World Endurance Championship in Pisa, Italy, last September where she had to pass multiple qualifying rounds in Argentan, France, with a hilly and rocky surface, in contrast to the sandy surface that she commonly encountered in Terengganu.
“As a result, my horse, Vlavlaclic De Lap, was diagnosed with severe injuries during a second mandatory check-up by a veterinarian. However, this did not break my spirit and it will be a learning process to fix weaknesses in the future.”
Idolising Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton, a Spanish athlete, Nur Qasrina is determined to stay focused in endurance riding and to make the country proud of her achievements.
MSU is a Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and Times Higher Education (THE) ranked international university.
A known name in higher education, the university promotes excellence and advances quality education, with a culture of industry and entrepreneurship embedded ecosystems, research, innovation and technology within the high-performance culture in the university.
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