Sehaj Singh Virk: From Asian Games rider to leading India’s rise in international show jumping

Sehaj Singh Virk’s bond with Laila Lordanos runs really deep. For one, Laila’s fiery attitude, among her other striking qualities and Sehaj’s special skill set blend perfectly, making them stand out from the rest. Above all, Laila never fails to impress Sehaj — something that keeps him going.

So, when both got together for the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea, Sehaj — India’s leading equestrian and Laila, the chestnut coloured mare — scripted history. Sehaj was the youngest Indian show jumper to represent India at the Asian Games.

“She is the boss of the stable and she knows it. Winning two of our three National Championship Titles in the last three years, she always wants to win. This attitude got her partnered with French Luxury Giant and her current Sponsor Hermes,” says a proud Sehaj, in a conversation with The Global Indian.

A member of the Indian National Show Jumping Team, Sehaj has represented the country at major international competitions across Germany, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia and France, winning multiple championships and medals, both nationally and internationally.

Regarded as one of India’s highest-rated riders, Sehaj is also the Founder and CEO of EGC (Equine Gold Consulting) Stables, where he trains riders, develops sport horses and promotes professional equestrian sport in India.

EGC is India’s premier Show Jumping Stable and is home to offspring of some of the world’s best-known show jumping bloodlines. “In show jumping, success depends as much on the horse as the rider. Nearly 70 per cent is the horse.”

Asian Games 2014

“The Asian Games were really special as we were the first team to qualify in almost 28 years and we were all in our early 20’s,” says Sehaj, whose recent achievements include qualifying for the FEI Asian Continental Championship and being selected among the top riders from Zone 9 (India, Singapore and Malaysia) for international competition.

The sport, he says, exploded back home after the 2024 Asian Games as horse riders saw the possibility of qualifying in the games, which until then felt almost impossible.

“The Asian Games was truly an amazing experience and also very humbling as we got to know where we stand against the best riders in the world, which only motivated us to work harder in the coming years,” says Sehaj, who was placed 13th Worldwide in 2013 at the FEI dressage show.

Riding across the globe

Among his other international achievements is winning the Individual gold & bronze medals in Australia, competing at the CSI Spangenbergin Germany, Team bronze medal with the Indian National Show Jumping team at the CSI International in Seoul, South Korea.

“I’ve made some great friends along the way,” smiles Sehaj, the national champion for 2014 -15, 2015-16, 2016-17. He was also adjudged the Best Rider at the Delhi horse show in 2016 and 2018 — the biggest horse show in India besides winning the National Gold Six Bar and Puissance 2016 and Silver medal in Grade 1(140) jumping.

Building a premier show jumping institution

Sehaj says EGC was never planned, it just happened. “Post the Asian games, several people were keen on getting trained in horse riding. The momentum just kept building.”

When he decided to go ahead with it, Sehaj made sure the focus stays on sport and the welfare of the horses.

“Riders at the private stables are trained from scratch to go on and compete at various national and international shows in Asia and Europe,” says Sehaj, who has nurtured EGC for over eight years and ensured the highest standards are maintained. Sehaj still continues to face challenges, be it with sourcing of raw materials, good doctors and weather constraints. “But overall, it has gotten so much better over the years because the sport is growing at an enormous pace.”

A trusted European network

With specialized trainers and management staff at EGC, Sehaj and his team not only ensure top performance for the rider but also five-star care for the horses throughout the year.

“Our wide network of agents spread throughout Europe enables us to discover and acquire an ideal horse for every level be it beginners – intermediates – young amateurs or professionals.’

Breeding the next generation of champions

As many as 52 horses from EGC are currently competing across all levels with various riders, some of which have been very successful nationally and internationally. As far as their breeding operations are concerned, there are 28 horses including foals and brood mares. “All the mares currently in the breeding program were very successful in the sport themselves.”

Riding since two

Born in Chandigarh, Sehaj spent a large part of his life in Jaipur and Delhi. Growing up, most part of his day was spent outdoors. “I was an average student throughout school because the majority of my time was spent on the sports field,” recalls Sehaj, who enjoyed playing football and running 100 metres.

Sehaj started riding when is was two. The sheer joy of riding and spending time with horses fascinated him.

“My father was in the army and the commanding officer of the 61st cavalry, the only horse cavalry regiment in the world. He captained India to three World Cups and played Polo in over 30 countries,” says Sehaj, whose grandfather, great grandfather and his forefathers were all accomplished Horsemen.

Being surrounded by some of the best riders in the country from a very young age moulded him into becoming not only a professional competitive rider but also a true horseman.

The first gold medal and beyond

Sehaj’s first competition was in New Delhi in 2004. The same year he claimed his first gold medal in the children’s 2nd category in show jumping, and again in 2005 in the children’s 1st category.

He took part in the nationals in Calcutta in 2005 and came fourth. The following year, he won six golds, five silvers and three bronze medals in the Delhi Horse Show. In later years, he won more than 40 gold medals and seven national medals.

In 2007 he won the Junior National Show Jumping Championship and placed 1st and 2nd on both his horses making him the recipient of the gold as well as the silver medal.

In 2008, Sehaj went to Australia as a member of the Indian (U-21) show jumping team and was the youngest team member. He placed 1st in the novice dressage, 3rd in the preliminary dressage and 4th in intermediate show jumping.

At Google

After graduating from Delhi University in 2013, Sehaj joined Google. “Google was a lot of fun. It was my first job straight out of college and they were kind enough to give me enough time to train and do what I needed to do,” says Sehaj, who describes his work as intense.

Between 2013-2014, he worked on a few projects which were launched in 2024-25. “I had completely forgotten about those projects. Seeing them being accepted globally after 10 plus years feels nice.”                                                                                                                           

Training with horses

Sehaj’s training schedule depends on a lot of factors, beginning with the selection of horses, which depends on its age, the level of competition, followed by the plan for the year.

“Currently, I ride approximately 4-6 horses a day but during peak competition, the number goes up to 8-10, which translates to approximately 4-5 hours of training,” says the accomplished horse rider, whose daily work revolves around managing the schedules of 40-50 horses.

India’s position in equestrian sport today 

So where does India stand today in terms of horse riding and its infrastructure?

“We are getting there and much faster than one would think. A lot of top-quality horses are being imported into the country which has raised the overall level of competition.”

He says Infrastructure plays a key role in the overall development of sport. “A good ground can make or break a horse, so it’s important that good quality grounds are made available for the growth of the sport,” says Sehaj, pointing out that in the last five years, three centres in Delhi NCR, two in Bangalore and one in Mumbai have come up.

“Logistical infrastructure also needs to develop a lot more to ensure transportation happens easily from venue to venue.”

Sports science

He says modern equestrian sport is increasingly driven by sports science. “We now have software that predicts injury risks, analyses a horse’s gait and even detects whether it is favouring one side.”

Wearable technology is also transforming training. “Devices now monitor cardiovascular fitness and lung performance. They give us a much better understanding of our equine partners and help improve performance while protecting horse welfare.”

 Future events

“We have a few international shows planned before we wrap up the Europe season by September this year. Myself and some of my students will be competing in those events.’ Post Europe, the Indian season will commence keeping him busy till March next year. “But every year is exciting and brings new challenges,” says Sehaj, who is looking forward to competing in more and more big shows across the world.

Lessons learned from horse riding

He says horse riding has taught him resilience and being patient. “No matter what happens, you get back up and try again the next day. Not every day will be amazing and not every day will be testing,” says Sehaj, who enjoys reading, yoga and exercise.

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