Lillie Keenan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lillie Keenan
Lillie Keenan riding Londinium
Personal information
Nationality	American
Discipline	Show Jumping
Born	October 4, 1996 (1996-10-04) (age 28)
Home town	New York, NY (USA)

Lillie Carmichael Keenan was born on October 4, 1996. She is an American show jumping rider. Lillie has achieved many great things in her career.

As a young rider, she won several important events. These include the ASPCA Maclay Finals and the USEF Medal Finals. She also won the Washington International Horse Show Equitation championship. Plus, she earned two gold medals at the North American Young Rider Championship.

As a professional, Lillie has been part of many United States teams. She helped her team win the Aga Khan Trophy at the Dublin Horse Show. This was special because it was the first time an all-female team won this award.

Lillie's Early Riding Days

Lillie Keenan started riding horses when she was six years old. She found old photos of her mom riding and wanted to try it too. Her first riding lessons were at a small stable in New York City. It was called Claremont Stables.

Later, she moved to train at Heritage Farm. There, she learned from Andre Dignelli and Patricia Griffith. This is where she began competing in horse shows. Lillie trained with Heritage Farm throughout her entire junior career.

Keenan and Chaccolette

After joining Heritage Farm, Lillie quickly started competing. She first rode in children's pony hunter classes. Soon, she moved up to regular pony hunter divisions. At her first USEF Pony Finals in 2005, she was a reserve champion. She rode a small pony named Dreamworks.

In 2007, Lillie won all the championships at Pony Finals. She won the small, medium, and large pony divisions. She was the overall grand champion on Enchanted Forest. The next year, she won five out of six championships. She was named overall grand champion on Neverland.

Lillie graduated from Harvard College in 2019.

Amazing Junior Career Wins

After her success with ponies, Lillie started competing on horses. In 2010, at just 13 years old, she won the Washington International Horse Show Equitation Finals. She rode a horse named Uno, whom she had only ridden for two weeks. Her usual horse had an injury.

Keenan and gold medal winning mount Londinium

In 2011, Lillie won big at the Junior Hunter Finals. She won the small junior hunters on Confidential. She also won the large junior hunters on Madison. She was the overall grand champion and reserve champion with these two horses. At 14, she even beat professional riders. She won the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship on C Coast Z.

In 2012, Lillie was part of a team that won a gold medal. This was at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championship. She also won the North American Equitation Championship.

In 2013, Lillie rode Londinium to more gold medals. She won both team and individual gold at the North American Young Riders Championship. She also won individual gold at the USEF National Junior Jumper Championship. That same year, she won the USEF Medal Finals and the ASPCA Maclay Finals. She rode Clearway for these wins. She was named Junior Equestrian of the Year by the USEF.

Becoming a Professional Rider

In 2014, Lillie got a chance to jump in her first Nations Cup. She was only 17 years old. She competed in shows in Switzerland and Slovakia. She also rode in big events like the World Cup qualifiers.

In 2015, while studying at Harvard, Lillie became a professional rider. She started training with Cian O'Connor at Karlswood Stables. O'Connor helped her learn the European riding system. He also taught her how to train horses and manage her own stable. Lillie received the Lionel Guerrand-Hèrmes Trophy in 2015. This award goes to a young rider who shows great sportsmanship. In 2016, she won the Maxine Beard award. This award is for riders who show potential to represent the United States.

In 2017, a horse named Fibonacci 17 joined Lillie's stable. That year, Lillie was part of the team that won the Aga Khan Trophy. This happened at The Dublin Horse Show. It was a historic win for an all-female team. In 2018, Lillie rode for the New York Empire team. This was part of the Global Champions League. Later that year, she moved her training to McLain Ward's Castle Hill Farm.

In 2019, Lillie had top finishes at The Devon Horse Show. In 2020, she did well in Wellington, Florida. However, many shows stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lillie's current horses include Fasther, Cazaan, and Skyhorse. She also rides Agana Van Het Gerendal Z, Be Gentle, Chaccolette, and Super Sox. She lives in Wellington, Florida.

Major Results