The whole boarding school way of life was still quite Brit at that time (remember it was only 13 years after Independence). I was there only for 2 years. I went in in the 4th standard(grade) and was moved to the 5th in the middle of the year (what was called a double-promotion). When I moved to the 6th it was the 1st Form(yes, as in Enid Blyton & the England of those days).
I remember among my chosen extra-curricular activities were ballet and riding. I like watching ballet and love ballet music, but I realised, pretty early, that I was too clumsy to be good at it.
But riding I loved, more because I love animals I think. We were taught on sturdy ponies, who had all been used to having green kids, try to control them. So they were very gentle. I so loved their horsey smell and the brushing them afterwards. I remember once, as a special treat, I was allowed to ride our instructor's horse, a beautiful big, black horse and the thrill of it. Incidentally, our riding instructor was an English woman, one of those who had decided to stay on. There were quite a few of them in Ooty, and the horse was her own. All the ponies were for hire from the men who kept them for tourists near Ooty Lake. Of course, after leaving Ooty there's been no chance to ride.