Deep River Teens Wins Big With Horses

DEEP RIVER, CT — Addison Keyworth has been riding at Larimar Stables, in Deep River, since she was nine years old. Described by Jill Curtiss, (owner and head trainer at Larimar Stables), as a great kid with an old-school work ethic, Addison has put a lot of hard work into her riding career and now it has paid off. She made it to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) Nationals, which will be held in Perry, Georgia at the national fairgrounds and agricenter, on April 23rd.

The IEA is a nonprofit organization that gives youth riders, in grades 4-12, the opportunity to compete in team and individual equestrian competitions, without the financial burden of owning their own horse. IEA offers competition throughout the country, across three disciplines: hunt seat, western, and dressage. Sixteen-year-old Keyworth competes in the hunt seat division and made it to Nationals in the Open Varsity Individual Flat class, which does not include jumping.

For IEA shows, competitors don't get to ride their own horses, instead, to level the playing field and open up the opportunity to compete, to riders who don't own their own horse, riders choose their mount from a hat. They then have to ride whatever horse they choose, in their class, most of the time with little to no warm-up time.

Keyworth is a Deep River native who has been in the saddle since she was six years old. Currently, she is a sophomore at Valley Regional High School and in addition to being part of the IEA team, she spends a lot of time competing with her own horse, "Liam", (a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood) on the national Hunter jumper circuit. Keyworth and "Liam” recently started doing the 3’6 equitation and just returned from Wellington, Florida where they were competing along with the Larimar team. As soon as she returned home, Addison represented the Larimar IEA team at IEA Zones and won, earning her ticket to Nationals.

"I couldn’t be more proud of how much she’s [Keyworth] developed as a rider and a person. She works hard to earn the success that she is finding," praised Curtiss.

This is Keyworth's first time at IEA Nationals and she is thrilled to have this opportunity.

"This is something I have been looking to achieve for a long time," said Keyworth. "I am extremely excited and I can't wait."

She added, "I hope I do well and that this puts a spotlight on me for college."

Keyworth said for her, the sport of horseback riding is about the connection and partnership with the horse.

"For me, it's all about the horse," said Keyworth with a smile.

We wish Keyworth good luck in Georgia and hope she comes home with another blue ribbon for her wall!