‘I love adventure, and pet horses are more loyal than any person. Ghoda aapke upar kabhi paer nahin rakhega. They are more loyal than any other pet.’ Ritu Dahiya, a 27-year-old Haryana Police constable, says. At the Indo-Tibetan Border Police’s Basic Training Centre in Bhanu, Haryana, she just won a bronze medal in the All India Police Equestrian Championship and Police Duty Meet.
‘Poore India se teams aayi thi aur semi para-military forces bhi thi iss national level ke competition mein. This time, my collar bone was broken, so couldn’t participate in all the categories. But in the championship that was held in February 2020, before Covid-19, I was declared the Best Woman Rider and won Gold and Silver medals,’ says the officer, whose love for equestrianism must be seen to be believed. ‘Agar aapke horse ke saath apka attachment hoga, tabhi woh achha perform karega,’ she says.
She hopes for greater support because every sport is ‘time-consuming’ and requires grit and determination to pursue. ‘Pehle se performance weak hui hai, par continue rakhne ki koshish kar rahe hain. When I win a medal, it brings motivation,’ adds Dahiya, who has defied several stereotypes. She used to spend her days teaching in the afternoons and practising horseback riding in the mornings and evenings as part of the Haryana Police Academy’s Law department. ‘Family support hai tabhi kar paa rahi hun. Sports ke liye support chahiye!’ she says now from the 4th Battalion in Madhuban.
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