By Prakash Bhandari

Chetak, the beloved steed of the Rajput guerilla king, Maharana Pratap, led him to safety even though he was badly wounded, giving the Marwari breed of horses an unbeatable reputation of being super faithful animals. The Marwari horse, a descendant of the splendid war horses of Rajasthan, is once again making news thanks to the efforts of one woman, Francesca Kelly, also known as 'ghorawali' - she who rides horse. "I am quite happy to take that name as my reward for the devotion I have for this breed.

It is the greatest accolade I would wish to receive. I can honestly say that the last seven years have been the most creative years of my life so far, and the most rewarding in terms of nurturing the Marwari horses from the shadow lands into the consciousness of horse lovers the world over," she says.

Love At First Ride
Francesca's first brush with this breed was eight years ago, while she was on an Equitours Safari as a rider. "I will never forget my astonishment and wonder as I passed through the Nagaur fair taking in these exotic horses with their distinctive oriental appearance and their beautiful, proud personalities.

The unique ears absolutely set them apart from other horses lending them an air of Old World charm and grace. They just stole my heart," she says. According to her, the Marwari breed of horses is most suited to any sport that involves speed and stamina over long distance.

"They are also extremely affectionate although that, of course, depends on the level of care they receive and how many carrots you have in your pocket," says Francesca with a laugh adding, "when I ride any other horse, which is a rare occurrence these days, I feel something is missing."

Over the years, she, along with her partner Kunwar Raghuvendra Singh of Dundlod, Rajasthan, have purchased many a Marwari horse for the love of the breed, and even rescued some from cruel owners and ill-kept homes. "All have found a place in either Dundlod stables or at my home in Martha's Vineyard in the US," says Francesca.

Step By Step Success
After importing six Marwari colts to the US after much trial and tribulation, currently Francesca is eagerly awaiting the arrival of "three of my babies" at her stud farm in the US. "One colt is due any minute and two a little later.

We have just sold the first-born filly a few days ago and she will be prepared over time for endurance." This year has also seen the birth of seven horses in the Dundlod stable and Francesca hopes that by the end of 2003 she will finally be able to bring all her grey horses over to the US.

"We have also had a lot of interest in the Marwari breed from Sri Lanka and four horses have already been sent there with another six on the way. Europe is another eager market and we hope to see the quarantine barriers down before the end of the year," she says. For the last seven years, she has been visiting India, "sometimes three or four times a year" to enable the Marwari horse make its mark.

"Currently, both my partner Raghuvendra and I are working to change the face and broaden the profile of the Marwari horse. Pageantry, horse shows, races, breeding and export, and the book 'Marwari' have been some of our high-profile achievements."

Apart from this, Francesca and Raghuvendra have also been concentrating on creating the Indigenous Horse Society of India and hope that this body will help the breed get considerable attention from those people — vets, government leaders, breeders — best suited to protect and assure the Marwari its rightful place in the equestrian world. "It is, and will remain, a work in progress," she says.