Riders mounted on perfectly groomed horses make for a pretty picture anywhere in the world. That perhaps would be the reason why cavalry has been such an integral part of ceremonies all over the globe. Ceremonies apart, horse riding in itself is not for a faint-hearted. And when it comes to competitive riding, 61 Cavalry has few parallels, being the only horse-mounted regiment in the world.
Raised in 1953 with riders drawn from various princely states of the time, the 211-strong 61 Cavalry continues to be the nursery for equestrian sports in India. All Asian Games medals in equestrian right from 1982 (3 gold, a silver and a bronze) to 2018 (Fouaad Mirza) have all been connected with the regiment in one way or another!
While the 1982 gold medalists Dfr Raghubir Singh and Col Rupinder Singh Brar (later commandant) both served with 61 Cavalry, Mirza's grandfather was a part of the regiment and as a youngster the Jakarta silver medalist earned his spurs on cavalry mounts!
Besides there are innumerable horse polo players connected with the regiment. The 1995 world polo championship (14-goal) finals in St Moritz, Switzerland, saw India's maiden appearance led by then 61 Cavalry commandant, Col Kuldeep Singh Garcha, an Arjuna Awardee for horse polo. That the team comprised of mainly players drawn from 61 Cavalry pedigree is hardly a surprise.
Col Jagdeep Singh Virk went on to later command 61 Cavalry, Col Bhawani Singh served 61 Cavalry before he commanded the prestigious President's Bodyguards (PBG) while the Godara brothers Manupal and Dhruvpal, honed their riding skills during their father Lt Col Udai Pal Singh Godara's tenure in the regiment where he was second-in-command to Col Garcha before retirement.
Present national polo coach Uday Kalaan also has his father Lt. Col Raj Kalaan's connect with PBG and 61 Cavalry, which he commanded before retirement, to thank for his love for riding.
With so much of history and tradition tied to one single regiment, it is quite surprising that the Army headquarters is seriously considering replacing the horses with tanks. Given that the Jaipur based 61 Cavalry is indeed part of the Armoured Corps, its three squadrons are split between Delhi and the Rajasthan captial, which is steeped in polo history apart from other things.
The 100-acre campus for 61 Cavalry, complete with stables, was in fact donated by then Maharaja of Jaipur, Col Sawai Man Singh, himself a keen rider and polo player. The Maharaja led a crack team that included one of the finest polo players ever - Rao Raja Hanut Singh - on an all conquering tour of Europe and England in 1920s is part of polo folklore.
Even though the top handicapped (10-goal) players ever in India - Gen Chanda Singh and Gen Jaswant Singh - belonged to Patiala, Rajasthan has been the traditional torch-bearer for horse polo in the country. That no Rajasthan player ever went beyond nine goals was in deference to the royalty. Sawai Man Singh was rated a 9-goaler and that magical number was not to be breached at least during his lifetime.
That apart, 61 Cavalry is India's last remaining connect to the famous 1918 Battle of Haifa (now in Israel) which involved the riders from Hyderabad, Jodhpur and Mysore. The regiment continues to celebrate September 23 as Haifa Day, made immortal in New Delhi by the statues of the three lancers at the famous Teen Murti roundabout.
Armoured regiments still proudly carry names like Poona Horse and Deccan Horse, evidence of their mounted pedigree which in due course was replaced by the noisy metal monsters of today.
To keep history and tradition alive, it is important that 61 Cavalry remains untouched even as it continues to be the unique supply line for equestrian sports in India. Or else, riding into the sunset may be what the future could bring!
Raised in 1953 with riders drawn from various princely states of the time, the 211-strong 61 Cavalry continues to be the nursery for equestrian sports in India. All Asian Games medals in equestrian right from 1982 (3 gold, a silver and a bronze) to 2018 (Fouaad Mirza) have all been connected with the regiment in one way or another!
While the 1982 gold medalists Dfr Raghubir Singh and Col Rupinder Singh Brar (later commandant) both served with 61 Cavalry, Mirza's grandfather was a part of the regiment and as a youngster the Jakarta silver medalist earned his spurs on cavalry mounts!
Besides there are innumerable horse polo players connected with the regiment. The 1995 world polo championship (14-goal) finals in St Moritz, Switzerland, saw India's maiden appearance led by then 61 Cavalry commandant, Col Kuldeep Singh Garcha, an Arjuna Awardee for horse polo. That the team comprised of mainly players drawn from 61 Cavalry pedigree is hardly a surprise.
Col Jagdeep Singh Virk went on to later command 61 Cavalry, Col Bhawani Singh served 61 Cavalry before he commanded the prestigious President's Bodyguards (PBG) while the Godara brothers Manupal and Dhruvpal, honed their riding skills during their father Lt Col Udai Pal Singh Godara's tenure in the regiment where he was second-in-command to Col Garcha before retirement.
Present national polo coach Uday Kalaan also has his father Lt. Col Raj Kalaan's connect with PBG and 61 Cavalry, which he commanded before retirement, to thank for his love for riding.
With so much of history and tradition tied to one single regiment, it is quite surprising that the Army headquarters is seriously considering replacing the horses with tanks. Given that the Jaipur based 61 Cavalry is indeed part of the Armoured Corps, its three squadrons are split between Delhi and the Rajasthan captial, which is steeped in polo history apart from other things.
The 100-acre campus for 61 Cavalry, complete with stables, was in fact donated by then Maharaja of Jaipur, Col Sawai Man Singh, himself a keen rider and polo player. The Maharaja led a crack team that included one of the finest polo players ever - Rao Raja Hanut Singh - on an all conquering tour of Europe and England in 1920s is part of polo folklore.
Even though the top handicapped (10-goal) players ever in India - Gen Chanda Singh and Gen Jaswant Singh - belonged to Patiala, Rajasthan has been the traditional torch-bearer for horse polo in the country. That no Rajasthan player ever went beyond nine goals was in deference to the royalty. Sawai Man Singh was rated a 9-goaler and that magical number was not to be breached at least during his lifetime.
That apart, 61 Cavalry is India's last remaining connect to the famous 1918 Battle of Haifa (now in Israel) which involved the riders from Hyderabad, Jodhpur and Mysore. The regiment continues to celebrate September 23 as Haifa Day, made immortal in New Delhi by the statues of the three lancers at the famous Teen Murti roundabout.
Armoured regiments still proudly carry names like Poona Horse and Deccan Horse, evidence of their mounted pedigree which in due course was replaced by the noisy metal monsters of today.
To keep history and tradition alive, it is important that 61 Cavalry remains untouched even as it continues to be the unique supply line for equestrian sports in India. Or else, riding into the sunset may be what the future could bring!
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