Khriebou Kekhriesilie Rio, a trailblazing equestrian from Nagaland, talks about the sport and his goals
At 25, Khriebou Kekhriesilie Rio from Nagaland is carving a rare path in the Indian equestrian scene. In fact, he is the only equestrian athlete from Nagaland who is currently based in Fontainebleau, France, where he trains in show jumping. The young man, who had been introduced to horse riding at the age of eight, recently won the Haras de Liverdy Grand Prix, his first-ever win on French soil. He speaks with us about this win, which is a part of the build-up for his Asian Games qualifiers and how he is preparing for his next competitions. Excerpts...
Horse riding is a pretty uncommon sport in India. What made you pursue it?
Horse riding as a sport in India is still uncommon and rarely heard of. But I was fortunate to discover the sport at my boarding school, The Assam Valley School, in Tezpur. When I first startedriding in school, it was more about animal care and basic gymkhana events. But over time, I fell in love with the sport and started competing in inter-house competitions at school and several state-level shows. There’s no fixed timeline when it comes to learning the sport; even today, every competition, practice, or, for that matter, the different horses I ride teaches me new approaches and deepens my understanding of the sport.
What do your practice sessions look like?
My practice sessions start early in the morning. I try to create a different plan for my horses depending on whether they have shows during the week. Every day is different, and I tailor the training to each horse’s needs. I train over jumps twice a week, and the other days they are on the flat doing some stretching exercises or muscle building, and Sundays are off for the horses.
Is horse riding an expensive hobby to take up?
It is an expensive sport, but I was lucky to have the support of my parents and the state government, because of which I am able to pursue my passion. My parents are the biggest pillars in my journey. Not only financially, but physically and mentally, they have always been supportive of my dream to reach the highest level in the show jumping and bring laurels to the country. As much as it is my goal and dream to win in the biggest stages, it is the same for my parents and brother.
Also, despite being the lone Naga equestrian athlete, the state government has always been encouraging and supportive of my career in the sport. I was felicitated by the Department of Youth Resources and Sports, Nagaland, in 2021, for winning the 2020 FEI World Show Jumping Challenge CAT-A in Bengaluru and ranking second in the world.
What are the challenges you faced in your career?
As we know, equestrianism is still something new, expensive, and unheard of in India. We still lack the infrastructure and support systems needed to help athletes grow, as compared to someone who is competing in Europe. This creates a gap in experience and preparedness for an Indian rider as compared to someone in Europe or America.
But of course, the sport in India is growing; now we have more facilities and shows to help Indian athletes grow at a fast rate. Being from the Northeastern part of India, the only setback for me would be not having any infrastructure or avenue to pursue the sport. Since I was based in Bengaluru, while I was in India, I did not have to face this disadvantage and could pursue the sport.
Were you afraid of horses before pursuing the sport? Are you an animal lover in general?
Being introduced to horses in school has been the best thing in my life. They are just gentle giants. So to answer your question, I have never been afraid of them. As big as they are and intimidating sometimes, they are the most understanding creatures, who always want to impress you. A lot of my personality has been developed by being around animals, teaching me how to be calm, compassionate, and giving. I think after horses, dogs are my favourite pets.
You had a show recently. Tell us about it.
Last week I was in Compiegne, France, or the CSI1*. The first day was not the best, due to some errors on my side, but we ended on a good note by getting placed in the top 10 at the CSI1* Grand Prix.
What lies ahead?
My goal now is to qualify for the Asian Games 2026, which is going to be held in Aichi Nagoya, Japan, in September 2026. So my complete focus is on qualifying for the championship and representing India.
My dream has always been to represent India at the highest level of show jumping, be it the Asian Games, World Equestrian Games (WEG) or Olympics, and bring laurels to the country. Wearing the Indian colours has always been a matter of pride for me. I wish to do so, even in the near future, through my hard work and dedication.
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