PPS Nabha riders steal the show

CHANDIGARH: On the ongoing celebrations of its Golden Jubilee functions, The Punjab Public School, Nabha has put up an Equestrian Show of one and half hours for the local schools and general public of Chandigarh (UT) at Territorial Army Grounds, here.



LT. General T.K. Sapru, PVSM,YSM, GOC-in-C, Western Command and alumnus of PPS was the chief guest  Almost 2000 children from different schools of Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkulla and Subathu (H.P.) witnessed the show on wednesday. Principals and teachers of different schools and Army Officers were also present on the occasion.

The show put up by the PPS Riders cornered glory by their brilliant performance in  trick riding, show jumping, trick tent pegging and  obstacles jumping.

Speaking on the occasion, Commodore (Retd)  I.L. Syal, Headmaster of PPS, Nabha aid that at present the School has 29 horses and 300 student members of the School Horse Riding Club. He also stated that PPS has the distinction of winning the coveted All India Indian Public School’s Conference Inter School Equestrian championship for the last 15 years continuously.

Not only this, the school riders had also exhibited their riding skills at the National level also. In 2003 while participating in the 17th Delhi Horse show, school riders won 19 medals. In 2004 this tally roses to 33 and in 2005, school team surprised everyone by clinching 51 medals (13 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze) and 12 other prizes. Best Rider award was also won by the PPS Rider and not only this Ris. Major Sodagar Singh, Riding Instructor of PPS was also declared the Best Riding Instructor of the country. In 2007 and 2008, school Riders again won 35 medals each year.

Besides Delhi  Horse Show, PPS Riders had excelled at Haryana Horse show (2006), Indian Oil Chandigarh Horse Show (2004, 2007), Punjab Horse Show (2006), Patiala Polo cup also. In 2007, PPS Riders were specially invited for the PM’s rally to display their trick riding skills.

According to Commodore (Retd) I L Syal Col. Pinka Virk, 61 Cavalry, Lt. Col. Ajay Alhawat, Balbir Singh Yadav and late Capt. Manjinder Singh Bhinder, all the Riders of International fame got their first lesson in Riding in PPS only when they were the students of PPS, Nabha.

The Punjab Public School, Nabha, which has the single largest contribution of any school to the country's armed forces. The school boast of having 13 Serving 'General' rank (Major Generals and Lt Generals) officers and almost over 150 officers of the rank of Colonels and above in the Armed Forces.

The school has come a long way and made its mark among the best residential schools of the country. Deeply entrenched in its ethos, values and traditions, the School has made tremendous contribution to the armed forces, civil services, politics, dedia, industries and other professions within the country as well as abroad, besides armed forces.

This great institution has also produced eminent industrialists / businessmen of repute. The CMD of Hero Honda Pawan Kant Munjal belongs to the school. Former  Editor of Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Kanwar Sandhu is alumnus of this school. Well known author, film and documentary maker,Vijay Singh, who is based in Europe, is also an old Nabhaite. There are almost over 100 School alumni who are eminent Doctors in the field of Medical profession. This includes names like Dr Satish Jain, Neurologist and Jagmohan Singh Raju, Professor in Philadelphia. Eminent and senior civil servants include IPS officers, G.S. Dhanoa and H.S. Dhaliwal. The school alumni have also provided political leaders of the eminence of Jagmeet Singh Brar, former MP, former Punjab minister, Partap Singh Bajwa (now MP) and a sitting Punjab & Haryana High Court Judge Justice Rajan Gupta.