EMIL TEO

Executive Director, Taste of Tradition

A father of six, Emil Teo is himself the youngest of three kids. He is married to Dr Jade Kua, a regular on the social scene. Having left Singapore for boarding school at the age of 14, he has lived in the UK and the US and is now based in Malaysia. Passionate about equestrian sports since the age of 13, he admits he simply “followed [his] siblings into it.” He adds: “I had a very serious instructor that pushed me into competitions in dressage and show jumping.”

Tell us more about horse riding and you.

I gave up riding after university. I tried once to own a horse but time spent on maintenance proved inordinate for someone with too much to do! When I moved to Kuala Lumpur in 2015, I visited the Royal Selangor Polo Club, where I met my friend, Peter Abisheganaden, who manages a string of horses and invited me to exercise his horses in the morning. I ride two to three horses every morning in KL, and it is a thorough workout.

best advice when it comes To horse riding? Don’t be afraid of falling; it happens.

any special ritual or gear?

I use the Five Basic Exercises to warm up always. I am partial to technical riding jeans with the silicone grip strips over traditional breeches and jodhpurs, with a Lululemon T-shirt.

how obsessed are you with The sport? are you competitive?

I am not an obsessive type. I do this to keep fit. I plan my timetable with at least an exercise slot a day. I make sure my schedule does not interfere

with my exercise regime too frequently. I like to be good at what I do, without dedicating myself to it and I am a no-competition, non-competitive person.

if you could be anyone for a day… Why only one day?

success To you is… Being content.

greatest challenge ever faced? Making today better than yesterday.

any regrets?

Way too many, they will pile up, but I leave them alone and keep moving.

something we didn’t know about you?

I hate rats, they make me jump! Part of my growing-up was by the sea, on a fish farm doing farm chores. I also spent time at my father’s office, servicing vehicles like changing oil and replacing tyres.

what’s on your bucket list?

A long vacation with the wife, wandering around aimlessly for a few months. Finishing my instrument rating for my private pilot’s licence. Sailing for a couple of weeks in open sea, enjoying the sky.

any cause you feel strongly about?

Mainly those that revolve around children, women and the LGBT community. Also the demolition of the Oxley Road house; it’s the right thing to do.