Colt from the blue hits Germany

Combining with Kathrin Muller, Aditya won the three-day event in the children’s category (age group 12-14), scoring nine points more than their nearest rivals. Their team Lianos finished second on Day One, seventh on Day Two, and first on Day Three to top on cumulative scores.

Returning to Mumbai early this morning from Germany, the only blemish on three weeks of bliss came on home soil his luggage, including his trophies and certificates, got misplaced in flight and Aditya came home empty handed, figuratively.

But that would take nothing away from the Cathedral and John Connon eighthstandard student, busy playing with friends here and basking in adulation. And he would not let his sights waver from what he wants ultimately in life Asian Games, Olympics and Volvo World Championship medals.

He admits there is a long way to go before that. He and his horse Prowler have many more sessions to complete at the Mahalakshmi Race Course before greater achievements come along.

Father Vikram gave credit to judo champion Cawas Billimoria, friend Sanjiv Dhanak and coach Major (retired) J S Ahluwalia for his son’s success. “Cawas for developing in Aditya the right attitude, Sanjiv for introducing him to the sport and Major Ahluwalia for teaching him the finer points,” said Vikram.

With nobody in family involved in the sport Vikram admitted to being completely ignorant it was Dhanak who would wake up the seven-year-old Aditya at 5.30 in the morning and take him to the Amateur Rider’s Club. After tottering around on Dhanak’s horse Rocket, Aditya is now good enough to win tournaments and wasduly presented with Prowler six months back by his mother. Though, it was stuck in Delhi for four months, Aditya could ride Prowler only for two months before he left for Germany.

The tournament had 19 set of riders, each comprising one German and one foreigner, with the teams being chosen by the organisers and horse being brought by the German partner. Aditya practiced with Major Ahluwalia for two weeks prior to the meet, having worked with the Major before the Bangalore Nationals in ’98.

“After going there I realised I could have taken my horse,” said Aditya. “… But it would have too expensive,” he adds in retrospection.Each day there were two rounds of jumping events, qualifiers moving to the second round. The routine was repeated for the next two days though the points were not carried over. At the end of the third day, the Indian-German combination was shaking hands with the chief guest, Princess Haya Bin-al-Hussien of Jordan.

Aditya, though, has had little in terms of coaching, having workedwith Major Ahluwalia for a month in Mumbai last year and twice spending time in Pune to work with Lila Hartung for six weeks.

“He relates to animals on a one-to-one basis,” says Vikram of Aditya who has two dogs Josephine and Leela. “I can’t imagine how he has taken to the sport,” he chuckled.

Aditya, who says he is very “sports-oriented” would never want to be a jockey and plays all sport “except squash”. He has won inter-school competitions in gymnastics, was his school football goalkeeper and says he hates most subjects except studying history.