Mumbai, Oct. 21 -- Two years ago, Hriday Chheda stood under the floodlights of Hangzhou, a gold medal hanging from his neck, his smile broad but measured. The bespectacled dressage rider had just helped India win its first-ever gold in the team dressage event, at the delayed Asian Games in 2023. Back in Mumbai, the applause had barely faded when a new generation of hopefuls started lining up at the Amateur Riders' Club (ARC), looking for a glimpse of what excellence looked like. Within that group stood 12-year-old Inaara Luthria, watching intently a little longer than the rest. Now coached by Chheda himself, Luthria has earned her place in the four-member Indian team for the FEI World Dressage Challenge for the second consecutive edition. Riding with her horse from Germany, Dasha Deluxe, she topped the Youth Category with 69.875%, edging past Chennai's Miraya Dadabhoy by just 0.075. Her record from last year speaks volumes - fourth in India, sixth in Zone 9 (India, Indonesia, Singapore), and twenty-second globally. The 2025 rankings are yet to be released, but her consistency has already placed her among India's most promising young riders. In many ways, her success was always on the cards. Her father, a film director, is a former riding champion and is currently the Equitation Chairman of ARC. Her mother comes from one of India's oldest racing families, in the business for over a century. And her coach is an Asian Games gold medallist. It's a pedigree that could easily overwhelm most athletes her age, but Luthria carries it lightly. "I guess it's in my blood," she said, with a nonchalant shrug. First placed on a horse as a six-month-old, she entered her first competition at two and has not quite dropped the pace since. Her first horse, Equinox, still lives with her. "That bond taught me everything," she said. "Dressage is a silent partnership. You can't communicate with them verbally, but with your hands, your legs, your tone. It's about listening as much as leading if you want to win." Luthria has trained under Chheda for the past seven years. Though he is currently in France preparing for the World Championships, their training continues online. "Even through bad Wi-Fi, he somehow knows what I'm doing wrong," she said with a laugh. "He walks me through every movement and reassures me when I get hyper. I'm not great at managing nerves and he helps me stay calm." Under Chheda's guidance, the 15-year-old has won three National Team golds medals (2022-24) and a bronze (2021) at the Junior National Equestrian Championships. Over the past year alone, she clinched gold at the Concours De Dressage National in Mumbai and the National Equestrian Championship in Delhi, strengthening her position as India's top-ranked youth dressage rider. Her early achievements may have helped her pave a path towards future success. But Luthria is not thinking too far ahead. The Asian Games next year may be within range for her, but at the moment she is focusing on the most basic aspect of sport. She wants to enjoy it. "I don't want to lose the joy of it," she added. "Right now, I just want to enjoy the ride."...