Jumping for gold

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">BANGALORE: At first glance, bespectacled Mir Ismail Jawad gives one the impression that he may be more attached to literature than any extra-curricular activity. How wrong first impressions can be!</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The frailly built lad who sports a thin line of hair growth in the dimple of his chin (it cannot be referred to as a beard), has yet to witness his twentieth birthday.Even at this fairly early age, he may be considered as one of the country''s finest prospects in the field of equestrian sports.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">He has spent the best part of his 19 years atop his four-legged partners. His father introduced him to the exciting world of horse-riding when he was barely five years old. Though he has competed in several equestrian championships over the years, major success eluded him till the year 2002 when he bagged a Show Jumping bronze in the International championships held at Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">He then had to wait two long years before striking it rich at the South India Equestrian Championship conducted against the memorable backdrop of the Nilgiris in Ootacamund last month.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">This Bangalore based boy returned after his conquest of the hills with an amazing haul of eight medals -- three golds, three silvers and a couple of bronze to boot. He excelled in Show Jumping Open, Top Score and Successive Relay, bagging the precious yellow metal in all three categories.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">During the championship, Mir always kept his morale up and picked up prizes at regular intervals. He finished runner-up in Six Bar and two other categories of show jumping. His faithful friend and partner during this highly successful stint was a nine-year-old called Belmore.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Speaking to the </span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">Times of India</span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">, Mir said he was grateful to Colonel Khan of Equestrian Centre of Excellence who taught him the fundamentals of skilful horsemanship. The coaching imparted to him at that tender age has stood him in good stead ever since, he says.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">He also lauded his present coach, Nitin Gupta, who polished his riding skills to a nicety, thus enabling him to cap his teenage years with that splendid effort at Ooty.</span></div> </div>