Kohima, April 27: Equestrian athlete Kekhriesilie Rio from Nagaland has achieved a major international milestone by winning the Grand Prix at Haras de Liverdy in France in a showjumping competition while riding Presley OL.
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| Nagaland’s equestrian rider Kekhriesilie Rio in action during a showjumping event in France, where he won the Grand Prix riding Presley OL. |
Rio, who hails from Touphema village in Kohima district, is widely regarded as a pioneer for the Northeast in equestrian sports. He became the first athlete from the region to compete and excel at the international level in showjumping.
In 2020, at the age of 20, Rio was ranked World No. 2 in Category A by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), making him the first Indian equestrian to achieve such a high ranking.
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He has also won the FEI World Jumping Challenge (South Zone) in Category A and secured several national championship titles, establishing himself as one of India’s leading showjumping riders.
Introduced to equestrian sport at the age of eight, Rio pursued his education at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts in Pune while continuing his competitive career.
With his growing list of achievements, Rio has expressed ambitions to represent India at major international events, including the Asian Games and the Olympics, while continuing to elevate India’s presence in global equestrian sports.
