New Delhi, December 23: The Junior National Equestrian Championship (JNEC) 2024 witnessed thrilling performances as Chennai rider Ali Hatim Lakdawala, riding Leonardo Van Holli, clocked an impressive 33.31 seconds to clinch the Young Rider Showjumping Champion title and the Young Rider (age group of 18-21) Team Dressage lead by Siddhant Jaiswal, Jaiveer Verma, and Geethika Tikkisetty secured the first place with a cumulative score of 178.22 ongoing at the Army Polo & Riding Club in Delhi Cantt.
Lakdawala edged past AEF Cup CSIY-B silver medalist E Surya Aditya on Calimero (37.22 seconds), while AEF Cup CSIJ-B silver medalist Geethika Tikkisetty on Brogonenn Saint Paer secured third place with a timing of 40.93 seconds in the show jumping category.
In the team category, Avik Bhatia, E Surya Aditya, Thanush Gowda, and Geethika Tikkisetty claimed gold, with minimum penalty points of 14 outriding the silver-medal-winning team of Monu Kumar, Harsh Chauhan, Anupati Navyashree Sai, and Eshmeet Singh with 27 penalty points. The bronze went to Siddhant Jaiswal, Kartikey Khokhar Vardaan, and Ali Hatim Lakdawala who claimed 47 penalty points.
The EFI Secretary General, Col. Jaiveer Singh, commented on the success of the events, stating, “JNEC 2024 has been a fantastic showcase of equestrian talent across diverse disciplines such as Show Jumping, Dressage, and Tent Pegging. The competitive spirit and skill displayed by participants, especially in the team and individual events, are a testament to the sport’s growing stature in India. Championships like these provide young riders with invaluable exposure and prepare them to excel on national and international platforms.”
In the Dressage category, Raju Singh, Moksh Patel, and Bhawani Pratap Singh narrowly missed gold, finishing second with 177.93, followed by the team of Samana Everaa T, Kartikey Khokhar, and A Navyashree Sai at 171.04 and third position on the podium.
In the Children I (age group of 12-14) team Dressage event, the quartret of Inaara Mehta Luthria, Ananya Sajit Haridas, Subh Chowdhari, and Pranav Deepak emerged victorious with 226.18 points. While Divyaraj Singh Rathore, Jaiwant Nawle, Aradhy Singh Chouhan, and Sresh Raju Mantena (210.24 points) and Puneet Jhakhar, Swara Tihrani, Zara Swittens, and Agastya Sharma (206.26 points) secured second and third places, respectively.
The high-energy Tent Pegging event saw Dhoni Om Chand, riding Mrignani, take first place in the Lance category with 51.5 points, winning after a tie-breaker against Mohammad Alhamad Chishty on Rani. Sahil, on Candy, finished third with 47.5 points.
The Championship featuring the Children I Side Event, Tent Pegging – Lemon & Peg – Sword, Young Rider Dressage Style to Music, Children I Dressage Individual, and Young Rider Side Event will witness the action going on till 29 December, as the second half of JNEC starts on December 26.
