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Young World
Pegging for polo
KAVITA DEVGAN
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Polo girl Devyani Rao says riding is not about conquering the animal but about developing an understanding.
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Passion for polo...
This woman would not be happy sitting in the stands, with shades and hat and stilettos, watching a horse gallop by. No, she'd rather be sun-kissed, jean-clad and on top of the horse. She is Devyani Rao — and at 21, is the only woman polo player in the capital. The first time Devyani sat on a horse she was just two, and she says, "I fell utterly, totally and hopelessly in love with them." She started riding when she was seven and under the tutelage of Beeya Vohra won a lot of show jumping and dressage competitions. "I did this for 12 years. Show jumping taught me how to work harmoniously with horses."
Devyani decided to move on when she realised that being a civilian and without a horse of her own, there was only so much she could do. "When I chose polo over the show circuit, my parents were not too happy; they were apprehensive about injuries. But I was sure. I had seen ace polo player Aimee Junker ride and play at the club and she was an inspiration."
It was an environment in which boys could play polo, but girls hardly ever did. "Well, I know so many girls who ride but I don't know why they don't take up polo. Women's polo is not yet popular in India but I would like to change that."
There have been no major injuries yet, and Devyani fears asthma more than she does riding accidents. Despite close shaves, she has been lucky. "I remember when I was about eight, the horse and I fell into an eight-foot pit. A suspending log saved both of us. But that does not scare me. I think the roads are more dangerous... I am more scared of hurting the horse. Like driving, while riding too, there is a moral obligation to ride correctly; otherwise one could injure the horse. Riding is not about conquering the animal but about developing an understanding," she asserts.
The love of her life — Badal — came with a terrible reputation, having broken his owner's arm twice. But the first time Devyani rode him, he was in a good mood and now they have developed a good understanding. "Badal is essentially a polo pony but I have done so much with him — dressage, show jumping, everything... and essentially he is the one who has taught me the relationship of trust between the rider and the horse. I absolutely adore him and one day I would like to own him."
Having taken a year off after college to do her own thing, besides polo, Devyani is also making time for her other passion — Spain. "I have always felt a connection with that country. When I got a scholarship to go and study the Spanish language and culture, I jumped at the opportunity to see Spain beyond the syrupy brochures and feel it up close. It turned out to be a landscape for my soul. Spain is like India — the people are so warm, it is amazing. In one month there, I made more friends than in my entire life here."
Winning accolades.
Multifaceted as she is, Devyani is also familiar with the world of literature. Although she writes only sporadically, she is bringing out an anthology of the famous Hindi poet Bal Krishan Rao — her grandfather.
Besides being a vegetarian by choice, by her own admission Devyani is a hypersensitive, intense and passionate person who knows what she wants. Towards the end of the interview, she lets me into a secret — she had auditioned for the role of the bride in the movie "Monsoon Wedding". "I was short-listed but... you win some and you lose some,'' she shakes her head. `So do we see a budding actress', I prod. "No, but what might be within reach is some kind of a role in the electronic media. I love being in front of the camera."
Today, Devyani is the only Indian representative of the International Women's Polo Association and is working hard to better her handicap. She has the support and coaching of Colonel J. S. Virk and Shamsheer Ali, both brilliant polo players.
"If I could have my way,'' says Devyani dreamily, "in my perfect world I would be reporting polo from Argentina on TV, in Spanish!" Might seem like an unreachable dream, but Devyani Rao is one for making fantasies come true.
Women's Feature Service
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