Overcoming travel restrictions for Indian horses: How 19-year-old Niharika Singhania became the only Indian woman in show jumping at the 2026 Asian Games | More Sports News

New Delhi: The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for 19-year-old equestrian Niharika Singhania. She has a Merit 4 with her horse First to Cash Out and has booked a flight to Japan in 2026 Asian Games. The Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) recently confirmed that Niharika will compete in this year’s Asian Games as the only woman in the Indian show jumping team.For the teenager, being selected for the Asian Games was no surprise. businessman’s daughter Gautam Singhania Led by Nawaz Modi Singhania, Niharika has had a string of outstanding international performances, including a gold medal at the Azelhof CSI Lier in Belgium in April 2025.However, despite her international pedigree, her path to Aiko Nagoya was anything but smooth.

Road to the Asian Games

Qualifying for the Asian Games is as much a logistical challenge as it is a sporting one. For Indian riders in particular, international regulations complicate the path to qualification.Since Indian horses cannot be transported directly to Japan under existing export agreements, athletes will have to keep their horses in Europe for qualifying events between November 2025 and June 2026 and prepare for the Olympics from there.“It’s definitely been very up-and-down,” Niharika told TOI in an exclusive interaction. “There were a lot of questions being thrown at us. I think our standards were also updated very, very close to the deadline. So we were all scrambling around trying to figure out how to fit into this new framework.”

Niharika Singhania is only 19 years old (special arrangement)

The ultimate test of her adaptability came when her main horse, Iron Lady, taught her the European ropes when she fell ill just weeks before a crucial deadline.“A few weeks before the deadline, she started not feeling great,” Niharika shared. “Coincidentally, a week or two ago, Makash (who cashed in first), who I had qualified for, came to the stable. He was actually supposed to be a horse for next year to prepare for the next level…and then we started and I was like, ‘Wow, this horse is unreal.’ At the first weekend, we decided, ‘Okay, I think this horse can go to the Asian Games trials.‘So we tried it with him and it worked out really well. “

It all started with a school trip

Niharika’s love affair with the sport started purely by chance during a school trip at the age of 12. “Honestly, for me, it wasn’t planned at all,” she revealed with a laugh.“When I was in school, we went to this camp in Pune and just randomly there, I absolutely fell in love with it. I was like, ‘I love these horses.’ Everything about it. I came back and I just pestered my parents… ‘Please let me ride!'”Her parents took her to a local racetrack. She trained for four years under the tutelage of Asian Games veteran Yashaan Khambatt, who is now her teammate for the 2026 Olympics.

Wanting to push her boundaries further, Niharika moved to Europe two years ago to train under veteran Belgian rider Vincent Lambrecht.

stable for eight

Today, Niharika owns eight horses, six of which are stationed in Europe and two in Mumbai. But in show jumping, a rider is only as good as the partnership they develop with their horse.“There are 100 different ways to approach a horse,” she explains.“Personally, I really enjoy spending a lot of time with them in the stables. I guess that’s how you get to know them. If I have to read my book, I go to the stable and sit down and read. It’s just that they are used to you and your energy, and you must also get used to their energy.“What I really find hard to get over is when a horse is sick…seeing the horse in pain hurts you more than the things that hurt you.”

Find balance in the saddle

Balancing elite European training with rigorous academics is a daily tightrope walk.While completing her International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, Niharika seamlessly combines a demanding academic program with steady responsibilities throughout the day, from cleaning buckets to tending to her pins.“I’m not a perfect student at all, but I try my best,” she said with a laugh. Fortunately, she has the support of her parents, who understand the mental refuge that riding provides her.

Niharika Singhania riding one of her six horses (special arrangement)

“I’m lucky that ‘please stop riding until your board is done’ has never come up in the conversation.” not at all. Especially for my mom, she believed that if you’re going to study for eight or nine hours a day for a test, you should study for an hour a day,” the teen added. “She said, ‘Instead of sitting there for five or six hours, take two hours, take an hour, enjoy it and come back, and I think that will help. ‘”With her qualifications officially secured, Niharika is now in the final stages of preparation for the Olympics in September 2026.“The most important thing is to keep the horses in good condition and still enjoy what they are doing,” she said. “There’s enough time for them to relax and then there’s enough time for them to work hard to stay in better shape. We have to work backwards from the Asian Games to make sure they reach their peak by then.”Looking beyond Aichi-Nagoya, Niharika refuses to put a cap on her ambitions. “My thoughts about the sport and the horses are always from the beginning: let me do my best and see what’s possible,” she smiles. “Let’s take it one step at a time and see how far I can go.”