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Horse sense
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Horses are a passion with the erstwhile princess of the Wadiyar family, who's hosting an equestrian show in the city from Friday
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Meenakshi Devi: `Horses are in my blood.' — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
MEENAKSHI DEVI looks quite cosy between Ashoka and Rani. Stroking the horses from Marwar, she says: "Look how their ears are turned in. This is what marks an Indian-bred from a thoroughbred." There's a constant calm about the erstwhile princess of the Wadiyar clan that drops briefly when she starts talking about her pet passion, the horses. "As you ride, the horse and the rider become one, you know," she says. "It's almost like the horse knows ahead of the rider what he or she is thinking!"
Being the daughter of the late Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, Meenakshi couldn't help being trained in all the skills that were seen as befitting the royalty — from Western and Indian classical music to archery and horse-riding. But the horses continued to fascinate Meenakshi even after the tag of "royalty" became nothing more than nostalgia — a memory of rides and hunting expeditions around the Chamundi hills with her father.
In the blood
"Just that it was in my blood," says Meenakshi, about her love for horses. After all, her forefathers were the greatest patrons of horse rearing and racing in Karnataka and donated vast tracts of land for racing tracks in Bangalore and Mysore. So, combining the inherited passion, the tag of royalty and business acumen, Meenakshi started Princess Horse Safari Trails, where tourists are taken to destinations around Mysore on horseback. "It's been a particular hit with foreign tourists," she says, adjusting the riding cap on her head. She also started the Princess Academy and Club in Bangalore where one can learn horse riding, show jumping, and tent pegging.
The academy, which she runs from a portion of the Palace Grounds with 40 riding horses and 15 safari horses, is getting spruced up right now for an equestrian show from October 1 to 3.
Sixteen riding schools from across South India are expected to participate in the show being organised by the academy and Zoo Developers under the aegis of South India Equestrian Association.
Meenakshi hopes that the event would get more people interested in horse riding and break myths about the sport being an exclusive, elitist domain.
Even as she oversees preparations for the show, Meenakshi returns to horses. "It's the thoroughbreds that get on to the racing track. But the Indian-breds are really sturdy horses and easier to maintain." So, it's mostly the Indian-bred variety that goes on safaris, she says, affectionately stroking Rani.
Not all men
Ask her if it isn't rather unusual for a woman to be so keen on horses, and she asks in return: "Why, didn't Jhansi Rani ride a horse?" She points out that two of the national champions who will be participating in the upcoming show are women.
And if time and health permit, Meenakshi would herself like to take her interest in horses a step further, by starting a polo club.
BAGESHREE S.
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