NEW DELHI: The last few weeks have been nothing short of a whirlwind for 19-year-old equestrian Niharika Singhania. Securing Merit 4 with his horse, First to Cash Out, he booked his ticket to Japan for 2026 Asian Games. And, as confirmed by the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) recently, Niharika will enter this year’s Asiad as the only woman in India’s Show Jumping squad.The selection for the Asian Games is not surprising for the youngster. Daughter of a businessman Gautam Singhania and Nawaz Modi Singhania, Niharika put together a string of strong international performances, including clinching a gold medal at the Azelhof CSI Lier in Belgium in April 2025.However, despite his international background, his road to Aichi-Nagoya was a smooth ride.
The road to the Asian Games
Earning a place in the Asian Games is as much a logistical challenge as it is a sporting one. For Indian riders, in particular, the road to qualification is complicated by international regulations.Since Indian-based horses cannot be brought directly to Japan under current export protocols, athletes are required to base their horses in Europe, compete in qualifying events between November 2025 and June 2026, and prepare for the Games from there.“It was sure very up and down,” Niharika told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction. “There were a lot of balls thrown at us. I think our criteria was also updated very, very close to the deadline. So we’re all trying to run, trying to figure out how to accommodate this new framework.”
Niharika Singhania just 19 (Special Arrangements)
The final test of strength came when his main horse, Iron Lady, who taught him the European ropes, fell ill just weeks before the important deadline.“A few weeks before the deadline, she started not feeling well,” Niharika shared. “Coincidentally, a week or two before, the horse that I had qualified, Cash (First to Cash Out), went to the stables. He is actually a horse for next year, to build for bigger levels … And then we started going, and I was like, ‘Wow, this horse is unreal.’ In the first weekend itself, we decided, ‘Okay, I think this will be a horse for the trials of the Asian Games.“So we tried him, and it really worked.”
It all started with a school trip
Niharika’s romance with the game started by chance at the age of 12 on a school trip. “Honestly, for me, it was not something that was at all planned,” he revealed with a smile.“With the school, we went to this camp in Pune, and just randomly there, I absolutely fell in love with it. I was like, ‘I love horses.’ Everything about it. I came back, and I just pestered my parents… ‘Please let me ride!'”His parents took him to the local racetrack. He spent four years training under Asian Games veteran Yashaan Khambatta, who will now join him at the 2026 Games.
For me personally, I really like to spend a lot of time with them in the stables
Niharika Singhania
Looking to push her boundaries further, Niharika moved to Europe two years ago to train under veteran Belgian rider Vincent Lambrecht.
A square of eight
Today, Niharika has eight horses, six of which are placed in Europe and two in Mumbai. But in show jumping, a rider is only as strong as the bond they build with their horse.“There are 100 different ways to approach a horse,” he explains.“For me personally, I really like to spend a lot of time with them in the stables. I think that’s how you can identify them. If I have to read my book, I go and sit in the stall and read it. They are the only ones who get used to you and get used to your strength, and you have to get used to theirs.“What’s really hard for me to get over is that horses hurt… You’re sicker than something that hurts you that you see the horse in pain.”
Finding balance from the saddle
Balancing elite European training with rigorous academics is a daily tightrope walk.While completing her International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, Niharika seamlessly combines heavy study sessions with all-day duties, from cleaning water buckets to tending to her tack.“I’m not a perfect student, but I try my best,” he laughed. Fortunately, he received support from his parents, who understood the mental sanctuary that riding provided.
Niharika Singhania riding one of her six horses (Special Arrangements)
“I was lucky that the conversation didn’t come down to, ‘Please stop riding until your boards are done.’ Absolutely not. For my mom especially, her thing is that if you study for your board exams eight or nine hours a day, you deserve an hour a day to go, “added the teenager. “She said, ‘Don’t sit there for five, six hours, but go for two hours, go for an hour, enjoy and come back, and I think it helps.’With her qualification officially secured, Niharika is now in the final stages of preparations for the September 2026 Games.“The main thing is to keep the horses in good shape, and they still love what they do,” he said. “It’s enough time for them to rest, and then enough time where they work to keep them in better shape. We have to work a little bit backwards from the Asian Games to make sure it’s up to that time.”Looking ahead to Aichi-Nagoya, Niharika refuses to put a ceiling on her ambitions. “My idea of the sport and the horses has always been from the beginning: let me take it as far as I can and see what is possible,” he smiled. “We take this step and see how far I can go.”