I grew up in Bombay, India, where I started riding horses at a very young age at the Amateur Rider’s Club (ARC). I was exposed to horses by my father, Adil, who grew up as an avid rider himself with a passion for horses. As part of the younger generation of riders at the Amateur Rider’s Club, I owe a lot of thanks to the adult riders at the time who kept a watchful eye on us kids, and volunteered a lot of their time to create a fun and educational environment for us young riders to gain experience.

   When I was 14, I chose to attend an international boarding school in South India. My four years at Kodaikanal International School were some of the best years of my life, and the friendships I made as a member of the Class of ’95, will last for life. However, there was no opportunity to ride while at Kodai, so when I returned home for vacations, I made up for it by making the ARC my second home, riding several times a day. Not being able to ride in Kodai made me realize how much I did miss it, and that’s when I knew what I wanted to do the rest of my life.

    In 1995, I chose to attend Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. I majored in equine science to fully educate myself in the area of my passion. I am really glad that I chose Otterbein, not only because of the great equine science program they had, but also because of the guidance and coaching I received by Lucy Cryan, Otterbein’s head coach and trainer. Lucy’s tutelage has been one of the greatest influences on my training career, as she gave me a tremendous foundation to build upon.

   During my senior year, I did a dressage internship in Webberville, Michigan under Grand Prix rider/trainer, Dee Cramer. The months I spent training with Dee proved to be one of the most educationally intensive experiences I have ever had. Dee has given me tools that have proven to be invaluable both in my riding and teaching.
After focusing on dressage for 5 years, I missed jumping a lot, but was still very passionate about dressage. That is when Three Day Eventing appealed to me as a sport, as it was a combination of all my passions, and presented a unique challenge of training ones self and ones horse to excel at three different disciplines, similar to a triathlon.
In 2000, I started working for and training with Jim Graham, a US Equestrian Team selector, judge and one of the top trainers in the country. My position at Jim’s slowly transformed from groom & rider, to an assistant trainer position, and I was responsible for training and competing several young horses. Jim’s expertise has benefited me greatly, not only as a rider and trainer, but as a competitor as well.

    As a young rider in Bombay, I used to look up to a fellow Indian rider and friend Imtiaz Anees, who had gained international experience himself, and paved the way for riders like myself, proving that no obstacles in life are big enough to prevent someone with focus and determination from reaching their goals. I do strongly share the belief that ‘WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY’. My goal is to join Imtiaz in building an Indian team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing…..and beyond.

   By gaining experience and learning from some of the top trainers in the world, I feel confident in knowing exactly what I need to do to reach my goals. I am currently based in Lexington, Kentucky at Pine Knoll Farm where my journey continues to evolve. I proceed on my journey fully aware of the obstacles and sacrifices that lay ahead, but confident that they will only strengthen my resolve.

How it all began
With cousins Areesh and Atyaan in Matheran