Naga lad Kekhriesilie Rio becomes first equestrian from NE to win a national championship

KOHIMA: Kekhriesilie Rio, a 20-year-old Naga lad has brought the Northeast on the equestrian map in the country as he will soon feature at the finals of the FEI (Federation Equestrian International) World Show Jumping, likely to be held early next year. He is also the first from the north-east to have won a national equestrian event.

In the north-east, the sport has hardly any presence except in the states of Assam and Manipur, while Arunachal Pradesh has recently floated a state equestrian association affiliated to the Equestrian Federation of India. 

Rio is currently studying Political Science at the Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts in Pune and hails from Touphema village, Kohima.  Earlier this month, he won the FEI (Federation Equestrian International) World Jumping Challenge 2020 (South Zone) in category A in Bangalore, bringing laurels to the State. His strong showing at the FEI also set the stage for participating in the world finals.

Notably, this will be Rio's first international event and will be the first time I will be representing India.

ALSO READ: Slip of the tongue: New BTC Chief Promod Boro terms Himanta Biswa Sarma as "Chief Minister of Assam"

Prior to this, he had won several medals with his first major national recognition coming in 2015 when he finished third in the junior category in the ‘endurance’ discipline. 

He has won at the Delhi Horse show and the Equestrian Premier League South Zone, besides many other show jumping events.

His sights are now on competing at the 2022 Asian Games and the Olympics representing India. 

Rio first discovered his talent at the Assam Valley School in Tezpur where, according to him, each student was required to choose a sport as an extra-curricular activity.

It was in 2010 when he first got exposure at the national level enabling him to get to “know how things happen in the equestrian circle” and marking the beginning of going pro. 

He is currently based in Bangalore, alongwith his coach and two horses, and will be competing at the Junior National Equestrian Championship in Delhi to be held from December 27-28.

To support our brand of fearless and investigative journalism, support us HERE.

Download:                                                                  

The Inside Northeast app HERE for News, Views, and Reviews from Northeast India.

Do keep following us for news on-the-go. We deliver the Northeast