‘Now I know I can compete with the best’
INDIA’S Fouaad Mirza (pictured, above) was the surprise sensation of the dressage in Tokyo, sitting ninth after this phase.
Thirty years old, with fluent English and a sparkling smile, he grew up on a farm in India “around horses, ponies, ducks, geese and rabbits”. Horses were in his family on both sides and his parents bred racehorses.
“Initially I wanted to become a jockey, though I was also showjumping and doing small dressage shows,” he says. “I had my amateur licence to ride on the Flat, but even though I’m not very tall, I found the weight difficult. I had to ride at 48kg to claim an allowance and as a teenager I didn’t have the discipline to stick to a diet.”
Having showjumped to 1.35m level, Fouaad was two years into studying psychology and human resources management at the University of Northampton when the opportunity arose for him to ride for Jitu Virwani, chairman and managing director of leading property developer the Embassy Group.
“He has a passion for horses
