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Equestrian attraction
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Horse Power, a show organised by the Annets of the Rotary Club of Madras Southwest, kept the onlookers mesmerised
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PHOTO: S. R. RAGHUNATHAN
FINE HORSEMANSHIP At the fund raiser
The organisers of Horse Power could not have chosen a better name for the event, which raised funds for two Rotary projects. Although many programmes (rock music contest, celebrity performances and firecracker show among others) were part of the fare, the Annets of The Rotary Club of Madras Southwest knew what would draw in the crowd — horses and cars. Even announcement hoardings showed horses jumping over cars.
The YMCA grounds was filled with excitement when young riders from the Madras Riding School (MRS) goaded tall thoroughbreds over eleven jumps and two combinations (one was a double and the other a triple) in a fine display of show jumping.
The horses generally train in "controlled circumstances", and when young Akshaya Malar, the only girl in the team, took on the "hurdles" first, it remained to be seen how the horses would react to the thumping sounds from the DJ's console and the presence of people within the ropes. The graceful quadrupeds — Safio, Fereneze, Signal Tap and Wedding Girl — filtered out the sounds and went about their business in a thoroughly professional manner.
Prem of MRS threw light on this rare discipline. "The horses have been trained much more than the riders. It takes three years to discipline a horse to meet the requirements of this sport. On the other hand, a rider needs just six months of training to control a horse and let it do what it has been trained to do well." The tent-pegging demonstration that followed was more electric. As spectators crowded close to the ropes that delineated the track, the master of ceremonies warned, "stay at least a feet and a half from the ropes, because the rider, the horse and the pole are all travelling at 60mph". Even the misses and failed attempts mesmerised the onlookers. Considering that all the heritage cars were quiet and parked, each in a small enclosure, Horse Power was all about horse power.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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