Long ago, when Kym was four years old, I used to take her to run on the race course in the mornings where she used to see racehorses being put through their morning exercises.
Sometime later, I overheard her arguing with a friend of similar age that ‘girls can’t ride horses’. On deeper investigation (for she could not explain why she carried that misimpression), I realised that she had never seen a woman ride a horse (all jockeys in India are male; and even worldwide, women jockeys are a rarity, don’t ask me why, I do not know).
That day, I realised how important it was for her to have women achievers to look up to, even to the point of women doing what men consider ordinary things. I also realised the importance of female role models for her, something cis hetero men like me never have a problem with. Her mother and I decided then to have only women teachers and educators for her and have managed to stick to it (in most cases). That was 2018.
Cut to the present: Today afternoon, at around 1630h, that girl at the end of the file, confidently trotting by herself at the conclusion of her first-ever away-from-home camp at Japalouppe Equestrian Centre at Talegaon is the same girl who thought ‘girls can’t ride’ just four years ago.
I know she has a long way to go. Very long. But at this moment, all I want you to do is check out the self-belief in her eyes in the photograph. And the confidence with which she carries herself astride the lovely (and heavily pregnant) ‘Freya’, her favourite mare in the video.
You show ’em, Baby bear! Ride like Hell.
Thumbs up at the end of the camp.
Babaaaaaa! Mammaaaaa!
The bear family at Japalouppe.
Look Mamma, I am comfortable around horses.
Video: Mamma and Baba bear seem to enjoy the play area more than the kids!
The best journal prize was shared by the two BFFs, Kymaia and Keemaya (what a coincidence!).
Watching her seniors perform.
Pensive before our name was called. With Mamma bear.
Kymaia and Keemaya, the beginning of a new friendship?
All the newbies at the camp.
With Bharadwaj Sir, the head coach.
Look at the confidence in the eyes.
Video: A small introduction.
Astride Freya, the cute, temperamental pregnant mare.
Video: Demonstrating our trotting skills.
Video: Dismount.
Position after dismount.
Video: Taking Freya back to the stables.
Leading the horse to water?
With Anshul Sir, our kind and soft-spoken instructor.
The final test paper Page 1.
The final test paper Page 2.
Kymaia and Keemaya won the best journal prize: an A+ for this colourful submission!
Inside cover of the journal.
