Astride her horse, Sthavi Asthana emerged victorious in the National Eventing Championship held in New Delhi recently..A practicing Supreme Court lawyer and an equestrian, Asthana has had to jump over more than one obstacle at a time.She recalls how a case she was arguing before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) was listed for hearing while the Championship was underway..The equestrian sport has three Olympic disciplines - dressage, showjumping and eventing. Eventing is in the nature of a triathlon, where the first day has dressage, the second cross-country, and the third day ends with showjumping.At the recently held Eventing Championship, Asthana's slots to enter the arena to compete were fixed. “My ride time was 12:40 pm. And my case was item number 9 in NGT. Normally, we warm up at least half-an-hour before, so I was to get on my horse at around 12ish. Item 7 had reached around 12. I was panicking,” she recollects.Her only option was to log in from the arena. .“Eventually, I just put on my Bluetooth headphones. My groom was helping me. He grabbed the laptop. I just got on the horse and monitored the court while warming up. Finally, when my item reached, I just jumped off my horse and went into a corner of the riding arena,” she says.Amidst the chaos, Asthana emerged triumphant in both her professional and sporting commitments. She won an individual bronze, besides a team gold and a favourable order from the NGT. “I also got a lot of weird looks from other riders who wondered what was happening. I think that day raised my blood pressure. I was in a full blown panic,” says Ashtana..Taking the reins.Asthana’s parents worked as government officials and none of her family members either practiced law or rode horses. She has been riding since she was 8 or 9 years-old. The sport has been a significant part of her life, governing most of her life decisions — even choosing which law school she would attend.“I specifically picked NLU Delhi because there was the most scope to ride in Delhi. It's been a major part of my life since childhood. I was actually a bit apprehensive that I would not be able to continue after I started active practice. However, this season has been my most successful so far,” she says..In her stride.Asthana has been successfully scaling the equestrian ladder by winning competitions and has now set her goal on the upcoming Asian Championship. But professional obligations need time and energy too.A fine balance between the two is what Asthana attempts to achieve. She starts her day with morning practice and then heads to court. Working with a supportive senior and cooperative colleagues has helped her so far. “I'm really fortunate to have the best boss in the world,” Asthana refers to Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati. .“Whenever I need time, whenever I need, say, a few days off, my boss never raises a question. I took a week off for a competition and when I went to her, she offered her best wishes and asked me to win and return. We are quite a large team, so there's always someone to cover for each other. They have always been very supportive throughout,” says Asthana.Her independent law practice and court appearances tend to clash with her riding events and it becomes imperative to maintain a steady calendar..Impulsion and collection.The journey so far has been a rewarding one for Asthana, who says she has learnt discipline, focus, hard work and preparation as an equestrian. And she applies the same principles to her legal practice. "The more you prepare, the better you perform. When you start performing consistently, one starts to notice that even your luck improves. These values are a key takeaway for all aspects of your life. I think any sport in this sense, it has a huge carry over to your profession and your life in general," she says..Asthana’s achievements can be termed atypical given the lack of work-life balance in the legal profession.In a space where competition takes the front seat, Asthana finds encouragement from people who strive to maintain a balance.“Any extra-curricular activity, especially sports, can really help to keep you sane in this profession. Litigation does take a toll on your health as well, and I think including a sport in your life can really help in managing that mentally and physically,” she says..Blinkered focus.Asthana says she is open to all areas of litigation, although a lot of her work is on the government side while working with Bhati and being on the Central government panel. “I see my career is still quite young. If I do specialise, it will be a few years later down the line. For now, I'm open to gaining exposure in all areas."As far as riding is concerned, the young lawyer is an eventing champion in the highest category— a CCN 2 star, which can said to be at the Asian Games level.Asthana is keen on eventing and is eyeing the Asian Championships in 2025, and then the Asian Games in 2026."The focus is on being the master of all,” she says.
Astride her horse, Sthavi Asthana emerged victorious in the National Eventing Championship held in New Delhi recently..A practicing Supreme Court lawyer and an equestrian, Asthana has had to jump over more than one obstacle at a time.She recalls how a case she was arguing before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) was listed for hearing while the Championship was underway..The equestrian sport has three Olympic disciplines - dressage, showjumping and eventing. Eventing is in the nature of a triathlon, where the first day has dressage, the second cross-country, and the third day ends with showjumping.At the recently held Eventing Championship, Asthana's slots to enter the arena to compete were fixed. “My ride time was 12:40 pm. And my case was item number 9 in NGT. Normally, we warm up at least half-an-hour before, so I was to get on my horse at around 12ish. Item 7 had reached around 12. I was panicking,” she recollects.Her only option was to log in from the arena. .“Eventually, I just put on my Bluetooth headphones. My groom was helping me. He grabbed the laptop. I just got on the horse and monitored the court while warming up. Finally, when my item reached, I just jumped off my horse and went into a corner of the riding arena,” she says.Amidst the chaos, Asthana emerged triumphant in both her professional and sporting commitments. She won an individual bronze, besides a team gold and a favourable order from the NGT. “I also got a lot of weird looks from other riders who wondered what was happening. I think that day raised my blood pressure. I was in a full blown panic,” says Ashtana..Taking the reins.Asthana’s parents worked as government officials and none of her family members either practiced law or rode horses. She has been riding since she was 8 or 9 years-old. The sport has been a significant part of her life, governing most of her life decisions — even choosing which law school she would attend.“I specifically picked NLU Delhi because there was the most scope to ride in Delhi. It's been a major part of my life since childhood. I was actually a bit apprehensive that I would not be able to continue after I started active practice. However, this season has been my most successful so far,” she says..In her stride.Asthana has been successfully scaling the equestrian ladder by winning competitions and has now set her goal on the upcoming Asian Championship. But professional obligations need time and energy too.A fine balance between the two is what Asthana attempts to achieve. She starts her day with morning practice and then heads to court. Working with a supportive senior and cooperative colleagues has helped her so far. “I'm really fortunate to have the best boss in the world,” Asthana refers to Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati. .“Whenever I need time, whenever I need, say, a few days off, my boss never raises a question. I took a week off for a competition and when I went to her, she offered her best wishes and asked me to win and return. We are quite a large team, so there's always someone to cover for each other. They have always been very supportive throughout,” says Asthana.Her independent law practice and court appearances tend to clash with her riding events and it becomes imperative to maintain a steady calendar..Impulsion and collection.The journey so far has been a rewarding one for Asthana, who says she has learnt discipline, focus, hard work and preparation as an equestrian. And she applies the same principles to her legal practice. "The more you prepare, the better you perform. When you start performing consistently, one starts to notice that even your luck improves. These values are a key takeaway for all aspects of your life. I think any sport in this sense, it has a huge carry over to your profession and your life in general," she says..Asthana’s achievements can be termed atypical given the lack of work-life balance in the legal profession.In a space where competition takes the front seat, Asthana finds encouragement from people who strive to maintain a balance.“Any extra-curricular activity, especially sports, can really help to keep you sane in this profession. Litigation does take a toll on your health as well, and I think including a sport in your life can really help in managing that mentally and physically,” she says..Blinkered focus.Asthana says she is open to all areas of litigation, although a lot of her work is on the government side while working with Bhati and being on the Central government panel. “I see my career is still quite young. If I do specialise, it will be a few years later down the line. For now, I'm open to gaining exposure in all areas."As far as riding is concerned, the young lawyer is an eventing champion in the highest category— a CCN 2 star, which can said to be at the Asian Games level.Asthana is keen on eventing and is eyeing the Asian Championships in 2025, and then the Asian Games in 2026."The focus is on being the master of all,” she says.
