Anush Agarwalla, credited with securing India’s inaugural Dressage quota in Equestrian, received valuable advice from his German coach Hubertus Schmidt. Schmidt, a former Olympic champion turned esteemed trainer, once remarked to Anush that while sympathy can be easily garnered, jealousy (known as “die missgunst” in German) must be earned. By the time Schmidt retired from riding at the age of 62 in late 2023, his collaboration with Anush, then 24, had already begun yielding results, culminating in India’s first Olympic quota in the sport.
Anush, a native of Kolkata from a relatively well-off background, attended La Martiniere school and had his first equestrian experience riding a pony in Tollygunge. Upon arriving in Germany, the epicenter of Dressage, at the age of 17, he grappled with household chores like cooking and cleaning, tasks he had never tackled before. Despite facing setbacks and experiencing disappointment in December 2019 when he narrowly missed Olympic qualification, Anush persevered. His journey from sulking in frustration to embracing the daily grind of stable work—cleaning stalls and saddling horses—reflects his remarkable growth, earning the respect and even envy of others in the equestrian community.
While the Olympic quota belongs to India, Anush is quite confident that he will retain his position to represent the country. “It’s been a challenging journey; I can’t even recall the last Diwali I spent at home,” he reflects. “Moving to Germany at 17, where I didn’t speak the language and knew no one, and then learning to handle grocery shopping and household chores… But this is the life I chose, no one compelled me,” he adds.
Financial support was never an issue for Anush, especially after his bronze medal win at the Hangzhou Asian Games, with TOPS also providing assistance. However, he admits to struggling with frustration when things didn’t go as planned. Over the past five years, he has learned the value of hard work in achieving success. “I’m not one to easily accept failure. But I’ve come to realize that consistent effort can lead to different outcomes,” he acknowledges.
A poignant Instagram post from a musician who earned the title of Best Newcomer at the age of 39 resonated deeply with Anush. “He mentioned that there’s a reason why success can come later in life – because the windshield is larger than the rearview mirror; the future holds greater promise than the past,” Anush recalls. This perspective shifted his mindset, instilling newfound confidence in both himself and his mount, Sir Caramello Old. “I’ll persist in my efforts and hold onto the belief that I’ll be in Paris,” he affirms, determinedly looking ahead.
In the final quarter of 2023, Anush condensed his qualification journey into just four key events. Despite many Asiad medallists opting for a post-Hangzhou hiatus, he remained dedicated, maintaining his training intensity. Merely three weeks after the Asiad team triumph, Anush found himself in Wroclaw, Poland, determinedly declaring to his coach their intent to qualify. Demonstrating his resolve at one of Europe’s premier events, he secured a commendable 8th place with a score of 73.485%.
Following his success in Poland, Anush traveled to Kronenberg in the Netherlands, where he achieved a personal milestone, recording his best-ever score of 74.4%. Despite finishing 5th, trailing behind the reigning World champion lady, the presence of his mother made the occasion particularly special.
In Frankfurt, Anush encountered a setback as he and his horse, Sir Caramello Old, failed to find their usual synchrony, resulting in a slightly disappointing score of 72.9%. The atmosphere seemed to affect them both, leaving the perfectionist within Anush feeling disheartened. However, he swiftly turned this disappointment into motivation, determined to learn from the experience.
With the pressure mounting at the Belgium Mechelen event, Anush understood that there was no margin for error. Despite the weight of expectation, he maintained his composure and delivered a stellar performance, achieving a score of 74.2%. This impressive result saw him narrowly edging out a Korean rider for the last qualifying spot in December 2023.
“After completing my journey in Belgium, a glance exchanged between my coach and I spoke volumes. We didn’t need words; we both knew we had accomplished the seemingly impossible,” he reminisces, the confirmation of his achievement only coming through this Monday.
“I believe Sir Caramello Old senses his upcoming journey to the Olympics, as he seems content,” Anush speculates about his trusted mount. The chestnut gelding, now 16 years old, found his way to Anush in September of 2019, amidst a series of fortuitous events. Sir Caramello’s history is a tapestry of riders: from German Oliver Luze at age 3, to Eva Moller in 2011, then Andreas Helgstrand of Denmark, followed by Russian Oleg Efremov, and subsequently Sergey Puzko, as detailed by eurodressage.com. After a period away from peak competition, he surfaced in the USA under PJ Rizvi, before eventually finding his way to Anush through a German barn sale, following a stint with Olympian Ashley Holzer. Though Tokyo brought disappointment for Anush, Sir Caramello remained steadfast.
Following the Tokyo qualification miss, where sympathy poured in from all sides, the rider found himself immersed in a sea of misery. However, he has since emerged as a more confident individual, relishing the envy directed his way. He has truly earned his admirers’ envy.
Now, the focus shifts to conquering the trials and realizing a childhood dream that took root at India’s oldest riding club.
