The 2026 Army Equestrian Championships (AEC) were held in New Delhi from October 5 to 18. In a notable first, the tournament took place in the national capital at the Army Equestrian Centre in Delhi Cantt, marking an important milestone for the sport.
The championship featured four major equestrian disciplines: Dressage, Show Jumping, Eventing and Tent Pegging. Separate events were also organised for the Senior and Cadet categories.
PRADEEP TOPS EVENTING
Pradeep Kumar of the Army Equestrian Node secured first place in the three-star eventing competition while riding Parinda. He accumulated 31.8 penalty points in Dressage, six in Cross-Country and eight in Show Jumping, finishing with an overall total of 45.8 penalty points.
Sachin Chandel, also representing the Army Equestrian Node and riding Pride, finished second with 63.6 points. P Vishwanath, riding Amar for the same unit, claimed third place with a total of 64.7 points.
Since the scores represent penalty points, the rider with the lowest overall total is declared the winner.
The AEC was conducted in accordance with the technical guidelines established by the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), along with the relevant rules and regulations of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI).
The championship serves a dual purpose: providing a competitive sporting platform while supporting the systematic development of Army riders and horses.
