The horse, which was declared “unfit” by the EFI, has been given the all-clear by Asian Games organisers

India’s Hriday Vipul Chheda competes in the Equestrian Dressage Individual Final at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. (PTI File Photo) NEW DELHI: A horse that was declared ‘unfit’ by the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) ad-hoc committee in Germany has now been declared fit by the Asian Games organizers in Japan, putting a spotlight on the vet check process used to determine Hriday Chheda’s participation in the continental event.Chheda’s 19-year-old horse, Dono Di Maggio, passed the mandatory veterinary check before Friday’s dressage competition, thus directly clearing the way for the rider to compete. The contrasting findings left Chheda questioning why Dono was declared ineligible in Aachen and whether the assessment ordered by the ad-hoc committee was fair.“My horse is perfectly fit and healthy as checked by the organizers during the mandatory veterinary examination. It was a relief. I would like to thank Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha for supporting me and ensuring that I get a fair chance to compete here. I am looking forward to winning a medal for India,” Chheda told TOI from Tokyo.

Riders draw up their own starting order

Meanwhile, another selection dispute arose on the dressage team. TOI has learned that the three drivers – Gaurav Pundir, Chheda and Shruti Vora – rejected the starting order suggested by the ad-hoc committee for Friday’s competition and formally submitted their own sequence to the panel of judges and Indian chef Sahdev Yadav.In their post, the riders said the ranking should be based on “objective merit, experience, recent results and scores”. They suggested that the youngest and least experienced rider, Jai Sud, go first. Their suggested order is: Jai Sud, Hriday Chheda/Gaurav Pundir, Gaurav Pundir/Hriday Chheda and Shruti Vora.The riders pointed out that Sud only started competing at international level in March 2026 and has no previous championship experience at this level. Chheda was part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, Pundir was part of the team that won the silver medal at the 2025 Asian Continental Championships, while senior rider Vora is a three-time silver medalist from the same event.