GALLOPING HIGH ON HIS PASSION

Riding into the horizon on a mighty horse with wind whistling in the ears is stuff that ballads and fairy tales are made of! Sanjam Singh Dhillon’ s stud farm with vast, verdant stretches of greenery is no less than a fairy tale land! Galloping high on his passion for horses and the pride of owning some of the most majestic ones in Punjab, is this horse enthusiast – Sanjam Singh Dhillon, son of Balraj Singh Dhillon and the proud owner of Sanjam Badal Stud Farm at Village Badal, Shri Muktsar Sahib.

An alumnus of Hampton Court, Mussorie, and YPS School Patiala, Sanjam is the Director of Eastwood International School, Doomwali, and a proud farmer at heart. “As far as I can recall, I have always felt an innate deep kinship with and a great passion for horses. I was fascinated by the world of horses in a big way. As a young man, I was in two minds about whether I wanted to seriously pursue this hobby of mine or not. I had a conversation with my Dad about it and it was he who gave me the go ahead and the confidence to jump in with both my feet into this field.”, he says with a glint in his eyes.

“My first experience of owning a horse came after that when my uncle helped me buy a beautiful bay mare who stayed my prized possession for a very long time”, he adds.

A self taught horse rider, Sanjam became quickly obsessed with learning as much as he could as quickly as he could. He particularly fancies Marwari horses, which is why all of the horses and mares in his stables are Marwaris. Marwari is a rare breed of Marwar, Jodhpur region of Rajasthan. Used for its beautiful presence for parades and ceremonial purposes, these are bred in many different colours like bay, grey, chestnut, palomino, skewbald and piebald.

This enthusiast is known for some of the tallest horses around. In fact, two of his earlier mares, Zara and Sundari were the tallest in all of India during their prime.

“My horses routinely take part in various competitions all over the country. And the accolades and recognition they earn is truly their own. I’m just honoured to be their caretaker in this lifetime. In fact, my daughters, Sarrah and Sohaya Dhillon, have also gradually come to love this passion of mine and now we bond over this shared love. I’m glad I’ve passed on the reins to them”, says Sanjam, his genuine love for horses permeating through the entire conversation and the enthusiasm that he speaks with about them. The fact that his horses have also been bought by several celebrities is a fact that this humble man shares but rather matter of factly!

Sanjam credits his acute interest in and genuine love for horses having given him the opportunity to have met and learnt from other horse lovers like him from all over, which a ‘country boy’ like him would not have managed in the usual course of life. So vast is his knowledge that Sanjam has also judged many competitions. He shares that it keeps him in the loop with his peers who also share the same interest as him. “There is so much that we can learn from each other’s experiences. One reputable competition that I have been invited as the judge for is the IHOA that is held in Pune annually. It is a great platform to showcase our animals. One has to be hands-on in this field, there’s no two ways about it. It’s an expensive hobby that demands a lot of time and passion. One has to know everything there is to know – the feed, exercise times, supplements, breeding, health issues, vaccinations, just to name a few. One even has to be a good judge of what makes the horse smile and what annoys him!” shares this horse lover.

To be in harmony with nature is to be in harmony with everything. Besides love for horses, this is also one of the guiding philosophies of Sanjam Badal Stud Farm. The farm’s sylvan surroundings are home to about 19 incredibly elegant horses, each more striking than the other!
Very rarely does one see custom-made, state of the art, exercise rings for horses in our part of the world, but Sanjam shares with immense pride that he has that unique facility at his stables. The horses really do seem to enjoy their time in the ring and it’s great for training as well.
Providing employment to a whole lot of people from his village, so particular is Sanjam about the wellbeing of his beloved four legged beauties that he has trained a lot of his staff himself.

“I believe I’ve amassed a wealth of experience in this field. As you gain an understanding of the nuances of each individual horse, you truly become even more appreciative of their beauty and elegance. The twitch of an ear, the bat of an eyelash, every neigh, each little gallop has a story to tell of the majesty that is a horse”, we are left awestruck by Sanjam’s connect with his horses. This lovely creation of God is in able hands!

As shared with: Opinder Kaur Sekhon & Adarsh Gill Brar