If you are a regular reader of the newspapers, even if you are not the one to read the sports pages, you will certainly agree that S.G. Mariba Shetty’s name is familiar. This ace horseman and commandant of the Karnataka Armed Reserve Police Mounted Company has won several honours for the state in equestrian championships, apart from having earned a name as committed police officer.
The highly disciplined officer is a man of few words. But talk about horses, Mariba Shetty is passionate. “It was during the rule of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar that we reached the zenith. The finest of horses were imported and what we have here is the best infrastructure,” he explains. The Kings were perfectionists, he says, speaking of the meticulous care that was taken of the horses in those days. “When they stood before the Howdah, they apparently glittered,” says Mariba Shetty, adding that the horses were fed with dry copra for extra nourishment. The Maharajas brought equestrian trainers from Germany ensuring that their forces were trained perfectly. “Unfortunately, I was not there then…”
Mariba Shetty’s love for horses goes back to his school days. As a young boy, he was an athletic champion and often represented his school in Dasara sports activities in Bijapur. “I was like any other village boy, Gandhi topi, no footwear. However, I always defeated even the Sainik school boys. But the way they rode their huge horses charmed me endlessly.” Once, Mariba Shetty went up to Mr. Pawar, the equestrian teacher for the Sainik school boys and expressed his desire to learn horse riding. Predictably, he was chased away. “I took it up as a challenge, and once I joined the Police Department I got extensively trained under A.K. Bijri,” says Mariba Shetty, who has been the unbeaten champion at many national and international meets. His relationship with his horse Silver King is legendary. “We shared a father-son relationship,” he explains. In fact, there have been several occasions when entries have been withdrawn on seeing Silver King.
“Horses are slow learners. If you take a look at the horse, you can tell the temperament of the trainer,” observes Mariba Shetty, who believes in training the horses he rides. The training is rather intensive and horses, he says, can be under psychological pressure. It’s up to the trainer to build trust in this loyal creature. Mariba Shetty has several stories to tell about Silver King which passed away two years ago, and the CJ-5, which he presently rides. “The president Shankar Dayal Sharma was the chief guest for Dasara celebrations some years ago. One of the elephants charged at him, and I noticed it. Immediately, I instructed my courageous Silver King, and in moments he stood in front of the president, averting the tragedy,” he reminisces. Elephants, he says, do not attack anything in white. Many of the horses at KARP are now saddled with police duties too – they are not only part of Dasara procession, but are also used for bandobast and night rounds.
It so happened that Mr. Pawar once visited the office of commandant Mariba Shetty to buy old horses for the Sainik school. He had no memory of this young boy who had pleaded to be taught, but the boy of course couldn’t forget this man who became the turning point in his life. “I reminded him of the incident, and he was very apologetic. All I wanted to tell him is that rich or poor, don’t deny anybody.”
This is perhaps the essence of the philosophy of the Maharajas of Mysore too – they opened up avenues of knowledge for one and all.
