Mumbai, April 15 (IANS) Actor Randeep Hooda won the silver medal at the Delhi Horse Show and says horse riding is fast catching up with acting as his predominant passion.

Last week at the prestigious Delhi Horse Show Randeep won a silver medal in the National Dressage category, which is considered by equestrians to be the toughest category in the competition.

'The Delhi Horse Show is the toughest because I had to compete against horse riders who were Arjuna awardees and Padma Shri winners. It's normally impossible for a non-specialised rider to win at this venue. That I managed to win a silver medal and that too in the toughest category proves that horse riding is fast catching up with my acting as my predominant passion,' Randeep told IANS.

Dressage requires connectivity between the rider and his horse to be displayed in the subtlest of ways.

'You can't make 'horse noises' to the horse nor spur it on with hands, legs or a stick. It's entirely to do with your communication level almost elevated to a telepathic link, between the horse and the rider,' said the actor who started his career with 'D'.

Randeep won the prestigious silver medal out of 170 entries in Delhi.

'Full credit goes to my horses Ranji and Johnny Walker. I owned eight horses. But I gave two away to a couple of new horse learners. I love my horses.'

Now the horse-riding season is over and Randeep wants to get back to serious acting.

'But horse riding will always be special. I think I'm the only professional horse rider from the movie industry. Strangely I've seen no men from the industry at equestrian events though I've seen some ladies like Diya Mirza and Lara Dutta at the race course. Women, by the way, make superior horse riders,' he said.

His forthcoming release is 'Rang Rasiya'.