Equestrian Shubh Chowdhari Targets Youth Olympics After Starting in Velachery

Sixteen-year-old equestrian Shubh Chowdhari has emerged as a frontrunner for the upcoming Youth Olympics in Dakar, just years after taking his first trial ride at the Chennai Riding School in Velachery.

Over the past year, Chowdhari has delivered performances across three Olympic categories: dressage, show jumping, and three-day eventing. While focused on securing selection for Dakar, the young rider is also preparing for major global stages, including the Asian Games, the World Championships, and the senior Olympic Games.

Chowdhari first took up the sport during the peak of the pandemic when he visited the Chennai Riding School in Velachery with his father to explore different athletic activities. While the initial idea included trying out options like archery, Chowdhari developed an immediate passion for equestrian riding during his trial session.

His primary competitive partner is Foggy Bottom, an Irish Warmblood imported from Denmark. Foggy Bottom had already competed at higher levels in Europe before joining Chowdhari in India at around 12 years of age. Chowdhari also works with two other horses, named Freezing Rain and Darcy.

To build his competitive foundation, Chowdhari began his basic training under retired Navy Commander Amit Meni before travelling internationally to train with coaches such as Portuguese show-jumper Anna Lindberg and US-based event-rider Sarah Kozemplik. He credits much of his development to former Olympian Imtiaz Anees, who has served as a primary mentor throughout his riding career.

Currently balancing his sporting ambitions with his school studies in Bengaluru, Chowdhari dedicates focused blocks of time to prepare for examinations between his rigorous riding and training commitments.