Every morning, between 5am and 9am, Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) gets ready for the day ahead. We notice a jockey thundering up as we await permission to enter the Club. Parvati Byramji, one of South India’s women horse trainers and daughter-in-law of the legendary trainer Rashid Byramji, shows us around. During the 10 minute walk to the lunging area, horses with shiny coats are being taken for training through the Turf Club.
Morning training session for Race Horses
Parvati instructs her team while they exercise their two-year old horses. “Easy, easy,” she says loudly, yet calmly, as she pays close attention to each horse. Dark brown, grey and black horses are being led to lunge around the field. As we observe them we understand each horse has a distinct personality. While some are calm, others are stubborn. However, all of them are handled with utmost care by Parvati and her team.
Parvati’s eyes light up when she sees a grey horse waiting for her turn to train the horses.“I always take advice when picking a horse. My father-in-law says the first rule of thumb is you have to like what you see, and I liked her a lot.”
After five minutes, each horse is patted gently all over the body as a form of shabaashi (congratulations). Parvati says every trainer has a string, which means the number of horses they train. “I train 19 to 25 horses everyday.” She ensures the horses are fit and obedient. “My day typically starts at 5.15 am, and goes on till about 9 am. In between I go to the yard to write down the next day’s work, including the treatments and the feed. That is on a normal day. There is more work on race days. “If you are lucky, you win, if you are unlucky, you come second, because there is nothing worse than coming second,” she adds with a laugh.
A top view of Bangalore Turf Club Ltd (BTC) Race Course, from Seshadri Road
As we speak, a stunning, light brown colt is led into the the lunge pit. He gracefully trots around the pit while Parvati keeps her composure and commands respect. After a few minutes in the pit, she steps out saying, “I used the Monty Roberts technique to establish communication and trust without equipment.”
As we make our way to the stables, which are spotlessly clean, Parvati says, “I always loved horses. When I was 11, I lived with my family in Mumbai. My father found an ad for amateur riding classes. Once I took that class, I discovered I loved riding. I became a member there. Then at 16, I got the love of my life — a horse named Sir Dickson. There was a senior trainer called Pesi Shroff , a famous jockey, who was kind enough to give me this horse. My story began with Sir Dickson, because he taught me more about horses than any book or person.”
Morning training session for Race Horses at The Bangalore Turf Club and Race Course
Parvati earlier made her foray into polo. “At one point, I was the only woman polo rider in India. I played the sport for the Amateur Riders Club versus the National Defence Academy and we won it. Then I got a polo scholarship to go abroad.” However, a twist of fate would change everything. “I had to bring Sir Dickson from Mumbai to Coorg. We didn’t want him to be alone, so I approached Darius Byramji (Rashid Byramji’s son and a leading trainer) for help. He asked me to ride with them. I never left. I married Darius.”
She recalls a memorable incident that played a part in her getting into horse training. “A senior trainer, Puttanna was sitting on the stands, while I was busy on the field. When he said he admires me, I said but I know nothing. He said in Kerala, they pay a person who belongs to the family to go around the estate, doing nothing but overseeing. So you think you are doing nothing, but you are doing a lot. It was then I thought I could do this. Darius said let us make it official to become a horse trainer.”
Parvati appeared for the ‘Assistant to Trainers Exam’ around 2013 to 2014. “I aced it! I then appeared for the ‘Assistant Trainer Exam’ in October 2016, and this time the exam was more difficult. I aced it again! I then appeared for the Trainer’s Exam in 2017, and received my license the same year,” says the 39-year-old Parvati. She, however, states that being a woman makes no difference. “It is not about whether you are a woman or a man, it comes down to the job that you do.” However, at every instance she gives credit to her team of workers.
There are several hurdles to being a horse trainer, believes Parvati. “The upkeep of horses is expensive, and the sport is heavily taxed. There is the challenge of infrastructure too.”Parvati debunks the misconceptions around poor treatment of horses: “We treat our horses extremely well. There are random checks of our stables, and we are closely monitored by the BTC, in house, and the Animal Welfare Board from the Government.”
(A column where we experience the lives and people of the city)
