India concluded their equestrian campaign at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya without a single medal, as all seven riders failed to reach the podium across dressage and eventing disciplines. The campaign's best result was a fourth-place finish in team dressage — agonisingly close to the bronze — while Hriday Chheda and Jai Sud narrowly missed out in the individual dressage final on Sunday, 27 September 2026.

Team Dressage: Fourth Place, Just Off the Podium

India's dressage quartet ended the team event with a combined score of 201.971 points, finishing fourth — the closest the contingent came to a medal all week. The standout performer was Shruti Vora (horse: Magnanimous), the 55-year-old rider who is the oldest Indian athlete at these Games, posting a score of 68.059.

Hriday Chheda (horse: Dono Di Maggio) — a member of the gold-winning team dressage squad at Hangzhou 2023 — contributed 67.353, while Jai Sud (horse: Goofy La Perle) added 66.559. Gaurav Pundir (horse: Milli) scored 65.794, which was counted as the team's drop score since only the three best results are aggregated.

Individual Dressage Final: Eighth and Ninth for Chheda, Sud

In the individual dressage qualification, Shruti Vora and Gaurav Pundir were eliminated in the second round before the individual final. Chheda and Sud did advance to the medal round, but could not threaten the podium. Chheda finished eighth with a score of 72.680, while Sud placed ninth with 71.490.

The result is a notable contrast to Hangzhou 2023, where India claimed a team dressage gold and Anush Agarwalla took bronze in the individual event — underscoring how competitive the continental dressage field has become.

Eventing: Limaye 12th, Mirza Retires

In the eventing discipline — which comprises three rounds of dressage, jumping, and cross-country — two Indians made it to the final cross-country stage. Anish Limaye (horse: Willy Be Dun) completed the course to finish 12th overall with 44.50 penalty points. Fouaad Mirza (horse: Camouflage 38), a Tokyo 2020 Olympian and Jakarta 2018 silver medallist in eventing, opted to retire from the cross-country round.

A third Indian eventing competitor, Arjan Singh Nagra (horse: Cooley Goodwood), was eliminated at the jumping stage. In the team eventing event, the Indian trio finished eighth with an accumulated total of 2,044.50 penalty points.

India's Equestrian Legacy at the Asian Games

Despite the blank at Aichi-Nagoya, India's overall record in equestrian at the Asian Games remains impressive. The country has accumulated 14 medals on the continental stage — four gold, three silver, and seven bronze. The Hangzhou gold in team dressage remains the most recent high point, making Sunday's result a step back for a discipline in which India has historically punched above its weight.

With the next Asian Games cycle on the horizon, selectors and the equestrian federation are likely to review the depth of the talent pipeline, particularly given the retirement of key horses and aging of some top riders.