First equestrian school opens in Jammu and Kashmir

The “Fazlullah Farms” aims to train the youth of the valley to become professional horse riders who can represent Kashmir and India at the national and international levels. 

Srinagar: In a welcome development for those interested in equestrian sports in Jammu and Kashmir, a first-of-its-kind horse riding school has been opened in Central Kashmir's Budgam district. The “Fazlullah Farms” aims to train the youth of the valley to become professional horse riders who can represent Kashmir and India at the national and international levels. The farm has been started by a young man named Ali Abbas who is himself a rider. He said that a lot of people used to ask him to teach horse riding, which gave him the idea. “The idea was already in my mind a few years before but it came to fruition a few months back because I wanted people to ride horses. There are people who wanted to learn but didn't have enough money to buy a horse or keep one. So in order to teach them, I started this school. The response has been surprising. We get 5-6 admissions every day. We have 12 horses, eight for riding and two trainers and two helpers,” said Abbas.