India equestrian Fouaad Mirza has admitted that having to choose between Dajara 4 and Seigneur Medicott was a "difficult" decision ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
He picked Dajara 4 for the upcoming Games slated to get underway from July 23.
Embassy Group sponsored four horses out of which 2 horses qualified for the Olympics -- Dajara 4 and Seigneur Medicott. The equestrian sport is strongly bound by the relationship a rider shares with his horse, this develops in being together over years of their training, upkeep, health, and wellness.
Both horses have tremendous ability, but after weighing their strengths and their weaknesses, Dajara 4 was chosen as she is in great form.
"As you work together over years, you develop trust and a relationship with the horse. The long hours we spend in the stable around the horses feeding them and nurturing them, helps build a great bond," said Mirza.
"It was a difficult decision to choose between Dajara 4 and Seigneur Medicott, both are great horses and are champion breeds. We saw that Dajara 4 was in fantastic form and understood the pressure that comes with performing at a world stage. This led us to taking the very difficult call of choosing Dajara 4," he added.
Dajara 4 and Bangalore born Mirza will be spending seven days in quarantine before and after reaching Tokyo, in a secured bio-bubble. The horse will also be accompanied by Johanna Pohonen (Groom), Dr. Grigorios Maleas (Veterinarian) and Veronica Sinz (Physiotherapist).
"I have been lucky enough to have horses to choose from and world-class coaches, this has been possible because of Jitu Virwani and Embassy, who have been instrumental in propelling the sport in India and putting India on the global map. Qualifying at the Olympics after two decades is a testament to their support and commitment," Mirza said.
An Equestrian enthusiast and a rider himself, Jitu Virwani, Chairman and Managing Director at Embassy Group said: "We are proud of Fouaad's tremendous achievement in qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. We recognised early on that he is a very talented rider, who is composed in his approach and is committed to his craft. We will continue to support and invest in Fouaad as we have in the past. It is heartwarming to see both Fouaad and Dajara 4 sharing a close-knit bond which will help them in the competition."
( With inputs from ANI )
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