My name is Sthavi Asthana and I am a 19-year-old girl with a passion for horses and horse riding. I have been competing in equestrian sports since 2009 ( with a break in 2012- 13 due to studies). The events in which I compete are Dressage and Show Jumping, both of which are events in the Asian games and Olympics. My dream is to represent my country in these or in eventing (which is a combination of 3 events  viz, dressage, show jumping and cross country jumping).

Equestrian sports are the only sports in the world where women can compete on equal terms against men as there are no separate events for girls / women. There are very few girl competitors in equestrian events today and most of them concentrate on dressage, whereas I compete in show jumping also.

• I have so far won a total of 72 Medals and 5 Trophies (27 Gold, 17 Silver, 28 Bronze) in 4 years of competing.
• Some details are :
• Junior National Equestrian Championships 2015: 4 Gold 1 Silver
• National Equestrian Championships / Junior National Equestrian Championships 2014: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze
• FEI World Challenge Dressage Oct 2014: International Rank 3 (National 2) in Preliminary Senior Class and 9 (National 4) in Elementary Senior Class. ( FEI is Federation Equestre Internationale – ie the international equestrian federation )
• All India Preliminary Jumping 2014: Bronze
• FEI World Challenge Dressage Nov 2011: International Rank 7 (National 1) in Preliminary Jr. Class.
• DHS ( Delhi Horse Show) 2014 – silver ( preliminary dressage), Bronze 2 – in Junior Dressage & Junior Jumping
• DHS 2015 : 7 medals ( 1 gold , 1, silver 4 bronze and 1 fourth)
• NCC RDC Jan 2012: Cleared 6 Bar jumps at 1.75m – noncompetitive event at 16 yrs age (National Open record Seniors is 1.80m since 2003). 
• DHS 2012: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 6 Bronze medals (Total 11 medals).
  Out of these at 16 yrs age: 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze are in (open) Preliminary Jumping (Top score and Normal). This category is open to all ages Top riders of Military, Paramilitary, Police, President’s Bodyguard and civilians participated. 
• National Equestrian Championships 2011-12 (Delhi): Novice Jumping – Team Silver (at 16 yrs age).
  (National Equestrian Championships are open to all ages. Top riders of Military, Paramilitary, Police and President’s Bodyguard and civilians participated). 
• Also awarded the Rani Laxmibai Sports Award for 2012-13 by Govt. of Uttar Pradesh.

While I have learnt the basics of riding on police horses I lack proper, formal coaching. I had to learn the fundamentals of maintaining a good position or the subtle aids (signals from rider to horse) which are necessary for competitive riding through the internet and books, which are no substitute for a coach who could point out my mistakes, correct them, and also help further advance and improve my technique.

I compete against riders who ride horses trained for show jumping and dressage. They are coached on trained horses and have been practicing on them for years, developing a bond and building a measure of confidence with the horse. Riders who compete in these regional / national and International competitions have specialized and dedicated horses and take regular coaching from expert instructors. Majority of my competing riders also have their own well bred, imported, trained horses with whom they share a strong bond, which is a great help, as riding is a partnership of horse and rider. They practice for hours every day, months before each competition, while I compete on borrowed horses on which I get at most half an hour / an hour’s practice before the actual competition.

I have reached this far and am counted among the best in the country on basis of my natural talent and hard work alone. However to progress further and be world class, I need proper coaching and well bred, trained horses on which I can practice regularly.

The expenses involved are unaffordable for my parents, hence I request you to consider sponsoring me, in full, or in part. This would include horses (buying/leasing and maintenance) and training expenses (India and abroad). The indicative costs of sponsorship are Rs. One Crore. I am looking at a five year time horizon and a try for the 2018 Asian Games.

Your will be promoting a girl in an event where boys and girls compete equally, and offering me the opportunity to bring glory to our Nation at the International level. As per the opinion of some of the top instructors and judges of equestrian sports, I have the potential to do so – with a Sponsor’s support.