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Dressage

Miraya, in the saddle

Dressage asks for precision that looks effortless: a horse and rider moving as one through a test of accuracy, rhythm and calm. For Miraya it is, above all, a partnership.

Something I don't think a lot of people acknowledge is how sensitive and smart horses are.
- Miraya Dadabhoy

Source: SheThePeople(opens external site) (12 Feb 2025)

Miraya riding a dark bay horse across red earth on a foggy morning

The beginning

How it started

4Her age at her first riding lessons.

A year of lessons, then six years away. She came back to riding in August 2021 and rode her first dressage competition a year later.

Sources: SheThePeople(opens external site) (12 Feb 2025), The Week(opens external site) (15 Feb 2025), Tell My Story(opens external site) (3 Mar 2025), The Better India (LinkedIn)(opens external site) (Feb 2025)

I was always fascinated by animals and loved horses as a child.
- Miraya Dadabhoy

Source: SheThePeople(opens external site) (12 Feb 2025)

Home arena

Where she trains

Centre
Chennai Equestrian Centre

Sources: DT Next(opens external site) (8 Jan 2026), DT Next(opens external site) (24 Oct 2025), SheThePeople(opens external site) (12 Feb 2025)

Coaches
Isabelle Hasleder and Vikas Pandey

Sources: SheThePeople(opens external site) (12 Feb 2025), Tell My Story(opens external site) (3 Mar 2025)

Miraya with her coaches

Results

In competition

  1. Dec 2025

    Junior National Equestrian Championship

    Youth · Bangalore

    Team gold · Individual silver (Musical Dressage)

    Score
    69%

    Source: DT Next(opens external site) (8 Jan 2026)

  2. Oct 2025

    FEI World Dressage Challenge 2025

    Youth (12–16) · Mumbai

    Selected for Team India · 2nd nationally

    Horse
    Knock Out

    Source: DT Next(opens external site) (24 Oct 2025)

  3. 2024

    Concours Dressage Nationals

    Novice · Bangalore

    Team gold · Individual silver

  7. Feb 2024

    First Greater Chennai Police Equestrian Championship

    Combined show jumping and dressage · Chennai

    Miraya holding a large gold trophy at a night-time prize-giving

    Best Rider of the Tournament, Youth Category

  8. Jan 2024

    Senior National Equestrian Championship

    Novice · Red Earth Riding School

    Team gold

  9. Dec 2023

    Junior National Equestrian Championship

    Dressage and show jumping · ASC Centre and College, Bangalore

    Miraya with her rosettes beside fellow riders and officials at the Junior Nationals

    Team gold · Individual silver · 4th in dressage

  10. Dec 2022

    Junior National Equestrian Championship

    Madhya Pradesh State Equestrian Academy, Bhopal

    Team gold

Recognition

Honours

  • Champions Development Scheme

    The first recipient of Tamil Nadu’s Champions Development Scheme for equestrians, which supports national-level gold medallists.

  • Mission International Medals Scheme

    Selected for the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu’s Mission International Medals Scheme (MIMS).

  • Jan 2025

    Gold School Colour Badge

    One of six students at MCTM recognised for excellence across academics and sports.

Partners

The horses

Miraya jumping Darcy over an oxer

Darcy

In her words

On horses and riding

For me the best part was watching participants who were initially terrified of horses slowly let their guard down, find their footing, and lead their horses around with a massive smile by the end of the workshop.
Miraya, on the beginner riding workshops she teaches

Timeline

Along the way

  1. Jun 2014 · Equestrian

    First lessons

    Miraya has her first riding lessons at the Chennai Equestrian Centre, at the age of four, and rides for about a year.

    Sources: SheThePeople(opens external site) (12 Feb 2025), The Week(opens external site) (15 Feb 2025), Tell My Story(opens external site) (3 Mar 2025)

  2. Aug 2021 · Equestrian

    Back in the saddle

    After six years away, she comes back to riding at the Chennai Equestrian Centre.

  3. Jan 2022 · Equestrian

    A first canter

    She canters for the first time.

  4. Aug 2022 · Equestrian

    A first competition

    She rides in her first dressage competition, at the Chennai Equestrian Centre.

  5. Sep 2022 · Equestrian

    A warmblood, and fences

    For the first time she rides a warmblood, Darcy, and she starts training in show jumping.

  6. Oct 2022 · Equestrian

    A first national qualifier

    Her first national qualifier in dressage, with 62.56%, at the Embassy International Riding School in Bangalore.

  7. Nov 2022 · Equestrian

    Qualifiers in both

    Her first attempt at a show-jumping qualifier. She also rides her second dressage national qualifier, at the Chennai Equestrian Centre.

  8. Dec 2022 · Equestrian

    First national team gold

    Team gold at the Junior National Equestrian Championship in Bhopal, at the Madhya Pradesh State Equestrian Academy.

  9. Jan 2023 · Equestrian

    Her dressage horse

    She starts dressage training with her dressage horse.

  10. Jul 2023 · Equestrian

    A show-jumping qualifier

    She earns her first show-jumping qualifier, at the Embassy International Riding School in Bangalore.

  11. Sep 2023 · Equestrian

    Another round of fences

    She rides in her second show-jumping qualifier, at the ASC Centre and College in Bangalore.

  12. Dec 2023 · Equestrian

    Gold, silver and fourth

    At the Junior National Equestrian Championship, at the ASC Centre and College in Bangalore, she rides show jumping and dressage: team gold, individual silver, and fourth in dressage.

  13. Jan 2024 · Equestrian

    Senior national team gold

    Team gold at the Senior National Equestrian Championship, hosted by Red Earth Riding School.

  14. Feb 2024 · Equestrian

    Best Rider of the Tournament

    Best Rider of the Tournament, Youth Category, at the First Greater Chennai Police Equestrian Championship in Chennai, across its combined show-jumping and dressage events.

  15. 2024 · Equestrian

    Concours Dressage Nationals

    Team gold and individual silver at the Concours Dressage Nationals in Bangalore.

  16. 2024 · Equestrian

    Best Asian Youth Rider

    Marking her first international victory at the FEI World Dressage Challenge 2024, Miraya secured individual gold with an impressive score of 72.325%, the highest score in Asia. Based on this performance, she was recognized by the Equestrian Federation of India as the Best Asian Youth Rider and placed fifth overall in the world.

    Sources: Tell My Story(opens external site) (3 Mar 2025), The Week(opens external site) (15 Feb 2025), The Better India (LinkedIn)(opens external site) (Feb 2025)

  17. Oct 2024 · Equestrian

    South Zone winner

    Wins the Youth Class at the FEI World Challenge Dressage South Zone event in Bangalore.

    Source: The Week(opens external site) (15 Feb 2025)

  18. Dec 2024 · Equestrian

    Team gold in Delhi

    Team gold at the Junior National Equestrian Championship in Delhi, with the highest qualifying score in the team event.

    Sources: The Better India (LinkedIn)(opens external site) (Feb 2025), The Week(opens external site) (15 Feb 2025)

  19. Oct 2025 · Equestrian

    Team India

    Selected to ride for India at the FEI World Dressage Challenge 2025 in Mumbai, on Knock Out.

    Source: DT Next(opens external site) (24 Oct 2025)

  20. Dec 2025 · Equestrian

    Gold and silver

    Team gold and individual silver in Musical Dressage at the Junior National Equestrian Championship in Bangalore.

    Source: DT Next(opens external site) (8 Jan 2026)

Aspirations

Looking ahead

The goals she has spoken about for her riding and for equestrian sport in India. These are aspirations, not results.

Read her aspirations