Nagaland’s young equestrian athlete Kekhriesilie Rio has brought international recognition to Indian equestrian sport after winning the prestigious Haras de Liverdy Grand Prix in France while riding his horse Presley OL.The victory has been described as a major achievement not only for the rider from Nagaland but also for Indian showjumping on the international stage. Rio’s success has drawn praise from sports officials and supporters across the country, especially from the Northeast, where athletes continue to make their mark in different sporting disciplines. The Haras de Liverdy Grand Prix is regarded as an important international showjumping competition, and Rio’s win is being seen as a breakthrough moment for Indian riders competing in global equestrian events. Vice-President of the Athletics Federation of India, Abu Metha, congratulated Rio on the achievement and described the victory as a proud moment for Indian equestrian sport. Sharing visuals from the competition, Metha said the achievement reflected the potential of young athletes when they receive the right guidance and opportunities.
He also said Rio’s success would inspire many aspiring sportspersons from Nagaland and other parts of the Northeast to dream bigger and compete at international levels.Rio has steadily built his reputation over the years through strong performances in both national and international competitions. His journey in competitive equestrian sport began gaining attention during the 2014-15 Junior National Equestrian Championship held in Dibrugarh, where he secured third place in the endurance category.Over the years, he continued to improve and later emerged as the winner of the Junior National Equestrian Championship in showjumping held in Kolkata in 2018. The victory helped establish him as one of the promising young riders in the country.His international breakthrough came in 2019 when he finished second in the Asian Equestrian Federation Junior and Young Jumping Challenge. The performance brought him recognition beyond India and marked his arrival in international equestrian competitions.
Rio continued his strong run in 2020 during the FEI World Show Jumping Challenge held in Bengaluru. His performance earned him the second global ranking in Category A and also made him the top-ranked rider in Asia in the same category. In 2021, he added another important achievement to his career after securing a podium finish in the senior category of the National Equestrian Championship in New Delhi during the Puissance jumping event.
