5 member team’s horse ride for 497 kms; finds place in India Book of Records

A 5- member team from the Nila Horse Riding Academy, Erode,including two children and two married women, successfully completed a 497 horseback ride from Kanyakumari to Andhiyur. The team’s achievement has found a place in the India Book of Records. The 5 riders were felicitated by the Indigenous Horse Society,Coimbatore, today.

The list of riders who took part in the ride included Gautam Vetrikannan (33), Swathi Nachimuthu (32), Priya Darshini Ranganathan (32), Subhdadra Chandrakanth (13) and Manav Subramaniam (12. The ride was organized by the Indigenous Horse Society, Coimbatore and Nila Horse Riding Academy, Erode. 

Speaking to the media Gautam Vetrikannan said that the ride was organized to create awareness about the endurance capabilities of indigenous native breeds and women’s empowerment. He said that the successful completion of the ride also helped spread awareness about horse riding and that anybody, from adults to children can take up the sport. 

The team’s journey started on July 29^th and ended on 9^th August. The riders covered an average distance of 60 kms per day. 

Gautam Vetrikannan mentioned that the success of Priya Darshini and Swathi Nachimuthu, both of whom were married and the two young riders, Subhadra Chandrakanth and Manav Subramaniam proved that if you have the passion and are determined to learn,anyone, irrespective of the age group, can take up and succeed in horse riding. 

A 25 member support team accompanied the riders on cars. 

Gautam Vetrikannan mentioned that the work for the project started in 2021. A detailed plan was prepared. He added that the horses for the project were first chosen and they were then put through extensive training, which also involved training them to ride on highway-roads. 

He further added that the team was planning a 250 km ride with only kids, in the near future.