New Delhi, April 19 (IANS): Focused on developing the next line of quality riders and picking the best team for next year’s Asian Continental Championships, the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) announced an extensive calendar of 41 competitions for 2024-25 season that includes Para-Dressage events in the country for the first time.

This will be the first time that India will be hosting an FEI CSI two-star (2*) tournament, the Asian Equestrian Federation (AEF), sanctioned U-21 Regional Group III international competitions in Show Jumping and Dressage on borrowed horses along with two Para-Dressage National events apart from three selection trials each for Dressage, Jumping and Eventing respectively to pick the Indian team for the FEI Asian Continental Championships to be held in Pattaya, Thailand in December next year.

The 2024-25 season will start on August 11 with the Sapta Shakti Horse Show in Jaipur with the AEF U-21 Show Jumping competition scheduled for October 12-13 while the Dressage meet will take place at the Army Polo and Riding Centre from November 28 to December 1.

The EFI will also be introducing the Para-Dressage competitions for the first time, with the first event to be held from October 18-20. Post which, the second event will take place between October 23-and 25 at the TARC Equestrian Centre, Chhatarpur, the EFI informed in a release on Friday.

“We have been showing remarkable progress on the international stage in the last few years and EFI is determined to build on our success in the 2022 Asian Games, where we won a gold and one bronze. We want to now focus on building a strong supply line of riders and also try and win as many medals at the Asian Continental Championships next year. Therefore, there are many new events in this season’s calendar as we want to give as much exposure to riders as possible,” said EFI Secretary General Col. Jaiveer Singh.

The Selection Trials for the FEI Asian Continental Championships will begin with Show Jumping at TARC Centre on December 7 and trials will be held for all three categories over the next four months.

EFI will also conduct Show Jumping, Dressage and Tent Pegging events for Sub Junior and Junior and Young Riders categories with the top 10 riders in Tent Pegging will be considered for selection for the AEF U-21 Tent Pegging international to be held in Mumbai in March 2025.