Shruti Vora becomes first Indian to win a three-star GP event
Shruti Vora has etched her name in the history books by becoming the first-ever Indian rider to win a three-star Grand Prix event. Vora, along with her horse Magnanimous, recorded 67.761 points in the CDI-3 event FEI Dressage World Cup, which was held in Lipica in Slovenia last month.
However, despite making history, the rider failed to qualify for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. Pipping Vora by a better average, Anush Agarwalla was chosen by the Equestrian Federation of India to represent the country at the Summer Games. The selection was made by the Executive Council and the President stamped his authority on the same.
Shruti Vora can still make it to the Olympics
Given the feat achieved by Shruti Vora, she hopes she will get a nod from the EFI. However, as per the qualification criteria, she was behind Anush Agarwalla. The criteria set up by the EFI demands a rider-horse combination to score a minimum of 67% twice between January 1, 2023, and June 24, 2024, in order to be eligible for qualifying for the Paris Olympics 2024.
Vora got her maiden MER (Minimum Eligibility Requirement) in June at the World Cup where she registered a score of 67.761. The other came at the Brno Grand Prix in the Czech Republic where she logged 68.174 points. However, the other two GP performances were not up to the mark and as a result, Agarwalla pipped her on a better average.
After Agarwalla's name came out, Vora pleaded to the High Court in Delhi, saying that the EFI's criteria was unfair and discriminatory as it ruled out all other dressage riders from consideration except Agarwalla. The hearing is scheduled and a verdict could be out any time soon.
Shruti Vora was a student of former equestrian Olympian Jitendarjit Singh Ahluwalia and took up Dressage after being inspired by Reiner Klimke, who is a former Olympic medalist. One of her major achievements apart from the recent record in Slovenia came in 2019, when she became the first Indian to stand on a podium in Europe, after finishing second in the Austrian Grand Prix.