Teen Equestrian star Miraya Dadabhoy rides towards Olympic dream

Teen Equestrian star Miraya Dadabhoy rides towards Olympic dream

It has been pronounced as one of the toughest sports to master, with athletes required to execute precise movements based on a pre-decided routine. The International Equestrian Federation describes it as ‘the ultimate expression of horse training and elegance’. But, for 15-year-old Miraya Dadabhoy, dressage is like an ‘art form’.

As a child, Miraya decided to give in to her fascination and excitement surrounding horses to take up riding as a hobby and the passion within her has led her to competitive equestrian sport. 

“I didn’t come from an equestrian family, it was more like a child being fascinated. I remember looking forward to riding for the first time. It was the highlight of my week,” the equestrienne said during a chat with  Sportstar. 

Since her first steps in active competition in 2021, Miraya has made rapid strides in the sport, bagging the team gold at the Junior National Equestrian Championship in December 2024, and also ranking fifth among the youth at the FEI World Dressage Challenge.

Although her primary discipline has been dressage, where she has won numerous medals at events like the Senior National Equestrian Championship and the Concurs Dressage National, she retains a keen interest in show jumping too. 

“In dressage, you’re focusing entirely on the precision and the harmony with the horse. There’s a lot of poise and quiet riding. It takes so much more technical skill and the training is very intense. I find that quite exciting,” Miraya said. 

“Show jumping on the other hand is physically demanding. You can very much see the explosive movements coming from the horse. And, it takes a lot of back and shoulder strength to really withstand that and carry yourself properly on the horse,” she explained. 

Unlike other sports, where the onus on performance is very much on the athlete, equestrian events demand an unblemished relationship between the rider and the horse.

“Building a relationship with the horse is probably the most important thing in riding. It allows you to have that horse-rider synchronization in the saddle as you’re riding. But, that bond comes from the time you spend off the saddle,” she said.

Therefore, the young rider sets aside time before and after school to spend with her horses, Knockout and Fürstentanz, before taking them out for training at the Chennai Equitation Centre in Sholinganallur. 

“When you spend time in the stable, aside from riding, is when you learn about the horse’s personality, how they’re feeling, their mood for the day,” she opined. 

“As much as you learn from the horse, they learn so much more about you. Horses are very sensitive animals and they pick up on body language and your signals fast. I don’t think a lot of people acknowledge that,” she added. 

Miraya says another important aspect for a rider is their core strength, especially in a discipline like dressage where the balance atop the horse has to be immaculate. 

“You need a lot of muscle in your core to get that stability and balance. There are a lot of different dynamics in strengthening your core. The smaller muscles around the spine and the interconnecting muscles are important for stability which is why I have started doing Pilates,” the 15-year-old said. 

In an age-agnostic sport like equestrian, young riders are usually thrown into the deep end against much more experienced athletes, leaving them with a glaring disadvantage. 

“Experience is important in the sport. The amount of hours you put in the saddle makes a big difference to you as a rider,” she said. 

“As someone who is not that experienced, it’s very challenging but also really exciting at the same time. I’ve been in categories of people who are very much senior to me in terms of riding age, and, I’ve been placed above several of them,” the young rider added. 

With more international events in her kitty in 2025, Miraya hopes to improve her world ranking scores and continue to jump up the ladder towards her dream of representing the country at the Asian Championships and then the Olympics. 

“I think there’s a lot of importance in consistent hard work. I have amazing coaches and horses and the desire to compete,” said the 15-year-old who hopes to replicate tennis legend Roger Federer’s work ethic to realise her dream.