Get, set, go(ld): Anush Agarwalla on bringing equestrian sports into India's mainstream

The Olympics are to sports what the Oscars are to movies. Amid the anticipations for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Cosmo India interacted with the athletes participating in this year's Olympic Games, representing the country internationally.

As India continues to expand its presence in various Olympic arenas, one name has been making big strides in equestrian sports: Anush Agarwalla. Hailing from the charming city of Kolkata, the 24-year-old athlete has been training in Germany since he was 17. With his eyes set on the Paris Olympics this summer, Agarwalla's journey in the world of competition embodies great dedication and resilience which is exactly what defines the Olympics.

The equestrian spoke to Cosmo India about how he deals with failure, what got him into horse racing, what kept him going over the years, and more.

Cosmopolitan India: What drew you to equestrian sports?

Anush Agarwalla: Most of the people I have met in Europe who are into equestrian at a high level, have parents or family members who have been riding and competing. My family isn’t into sports—ours is a business family. But when I was younger, my parents used to take me for horse riding at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata. At the time, I went without any ambition to compete for India. I love animals and enjoy riding horses. So, I started taking lessons twice a week. But I didn’t start training professionally until I was 17, when I shifted to Germany

C: In dressage or equestrian, there’s much to keep in mind about your strategy as well as understanding the horse. What is your process in achieving peak performance, mentally?

AA: The mental preparation is equally important, if not more than your physical preparation. Shifting to Germany and then not being able to see my family for two years during the pandemic was difficult for me. But that was when I made a huge development in my own skills. I only focused on my training. I learnt how to celebrate the big accomplishments and the small wins. I began setting goals for myself to achieve in the next tournament. If I failed, I worked towards it again. It is also important to set big goals that are almost unachievable. I am not somebody who believes in setting a small goal that is easily achievable.

C: What keeps you going and how do you stay consistent?

AA: I think passion is important. If you don’t love what you do, you’re probably not doing the right thing for yourself. But what is more important than passion and natural talent is hard work. It is easy for everybody to work hard for a few weeks, even for a year. But what helps you achieve goals is consistency. There’s a famous saying: ‘Hard work always beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard’. If you miss one week of training, you actually go two weeks back.

C: Where does this drive come from? And how do you deal with failure?

AA: I am someone who hates to accept defeat. The easiest thing to do when you fail is to blame someone or something else. But my trainer once told, that it is always the rider’s fault. Even if the horse makes a mistake, its the rider who has to correct it. Whenever I perform poorly, the first thing I do is analyse what went wrong. You have to break it into 10 small things, and then work on them individually. I don’t think it is bad to be emotionally attached to the result because that’s a sign of how much you care. The problem is when you don’t do anything about it.

C: We’ve spoken about the bad days, but what is something you do instinctively when you win?

AA: Well, the first thing for me is to let my horse know that we did a good job. I feel that without my horse and his help, I have nothing. We are a team. My horse knows when I’m happy and when I am unhappy. The second thing is speaking to my coach. He has made me who I am today—he took me from a low level and now we’re going to the Olympics in a few months.

C: What has been the most difficult challenge to overcome? 

AA: Personally, the most difficult challenge to overcome was towards the end of 2019 until about the winters of 2020. It was in 2019 when I first got into the Grand Prix level (a requirement for the Olympics). We were all playing with high hopes to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. But it didn’t work out like I had expected it to—my performance was below par and I didn’t qualify. That was difficult for me to accept. I had been training for so long; I had not achieved anything. I had not even qualified for the Asian Games 2018. I had sleepless nights. One day I realised it wasn’t the end of the world. I started to get into the rhythm again and focused on the root of the problem. I started clicking with my horse. Looking back, I’m grateful for all the experiences I had.

C: You mention the unforgettable lessons that have kind of stayed with you. What’s the best advice you’ve received?

AA: The best advice I’ve ever received was from my coach. He told me that sympathy is easy to get, but jealousy has to be earned. It’s a privilege if people are jealous of you, because then you know that you’re doing something right. That advice stuck with me forever. Another lesson that really stuck with me was when a 35-year-old singer-songwriter [Victoria Monét] won the Newcomer of the Year. She said, “There’s a reason that the front shield is bigger than the back mirror in the car, because what’s in front of you is so much more important than what’s in the past.” [The original quote is by American author, Mel Robbins].

C: Do you have a pre-tournament routine to refocus?

AA: Around two to three hours before my performance, I don’t talk to anybody, except my coach. We discuss strategies or a game plan. Other than that I’m usually with my horse. I listen to music. I make sure to hydrate. I’ve also started working with a mental coach, who introduced me to visualisation techniques, which has made a huge difference.

C: Earlier this year, you became the first Indian to qualify for dressage at the Olympic Games. Take us through that experience.

AA: December 31, last year was the last chance I had to qualify. The last of my FEI (International Federation for Equestrian Sports) shows were on December 29. I knew that I had a good chance. But, of course, I was not allowed to make any mistakes. Going into the show, I was excited and nervous because I knew what was at stake. During the preparations, my horse Sir Caramello gave me a boost of confidence. When I finished my test, I was pretty sure that it would be high enough to qualify. I looked over to my coach, and he was smiling and he gave me a thumbs up. I called my family. They were in India, but, of course, they were following it. All of us were over the moon because this was something we had worked on for a long time.

C: What has been your proudest moment till date?

AA: I would mention two instances here. The first, of course, was when the Indian flag was hoisted at the Asian Games (2023) [Anush became the first Indian to win a bronze medal in the individual category in the dressage event and won a gold medal in the team event]. The whole stadium was standing in complete silence looking at the flag. That’s the biggest moment for any athlete because it is a reminder that, in that very moment, you are the reason the flag is hoisted and the national anthem is played. The other is when I qualified for the Paris Olympics in dressage. I know what it means for Indian equestrians—both young and old—being the first one to qualify. Their reactions and words mean a lot—it has kept me going. I also believe that it will be a huge push to younger people to pursue the sport and make them believe it is not impossible to achieve those dreams.

This interview is part of a series that appeared in Cosmopolitan India, May-June 2024 print edition. 

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