From Chennai to the World: Miraya Dhadabhoy Gallops to Equestrian Stardom

Miraya Dhadabhoy, 15, Asia’s top Youth Rider and world No. 5 in Dressage, credits her success to early mornings, family support, and a deep bond with her horses.

15 year old Miraya Dhadabhoy has emerged Asia’s No. 1 Youth Rider  in the FEI Dressage challenge. The class ten student is also ranked world No. 5 in this equestrian sport.

The Chennai student, works really hard from 4 AM every morning, to balance her studies and passion for the  equestrian sport. She told tellmystory.in “This is  special as it’s my first international victory. It has  boosted my self confidence and belief in myself”. She added “This wouldn’t have been   possible without the support of my coaches Isabelle Hasleder, Vikas Panday and my parents”.

The sport requires a greater degree of bonding and understanding with the horse. Miraya says “I really treasure the bond with my horses and I spend plenty of time with them off the saddle. We both understand and learn from each other”.

Miraya fell in love with horses when she was just 4. It’s an expensive sport but her parents supported her and nurtured her passion. “As a 12 year old she took charge and demonstrated her commitment to the sport by getting ready early morning to go for her riding classes. That’s when we supported her. It’s expensive but with more government accessible to a lot more children with the right government and corporate support” said her mom Shefali Dadabhoy.

Miraya has now set her eyes on more international titles. Only recently Chennai based equestrian show jumper Shubh Chowdhari had emerged world No. 3 in FEI Jumping Children’s Classics. With Miraya too now proving her mettle, the city is emerging to be a key player in equestrian sports.