At the age of ten, Keean White was encouraged to take riding lessons despite his own dislike for the idea. A stubborn pony turned jumping into a game for Keean and helped him to develop a passion for the sport. Keean first qualified for the Royal Horse Show in the Large Pony division at the age of 13 with Daydreamer. The following year, he won the Ontario Large Pony Championship, and, at the age of 15, qualified for the CET Medal Final at the Royal. At just 17 years of age, he won the Junior/Amateur Championship at the 2000 Royal Horse Show, an accomplishment he counts among the highlights of his short career.
Keean competed at five consecutive North American Young Riders’ Championships, 1999 to 2003. In 2000, he was part of the Team Bronze medal effort and placed seventh individually riding his thoroughbred gelding, Zack. In 2001 and 2002, Keean earned Team Silver medals and, capping off his Young Riders' career in style, won Team Gold and the Individual Silver in 2003.
Keean successfully entered the grand prix ranks in 2002 and, following strong results on the HITS circuits in Ocala, Florida, and Catskills, New York, Keean was named the ‘HITS Rookie of the Year’. At the 2002 Royal Horse Show riding Arriscraft Rocca, won the National Talent Squad Championship.
In 2003, Keean proved himself as a serious contender by claiming victory in the $25,000 Jacksonville Grand Prix riding Libidou and, during the five-week HITS Ocala circuit, earning a ribbon in every Sunday Grand Prix. Moving to Tampa, Keean and Arriscraft Rocca finished fourth from a field of 53 seasoned veterans in the $25,000 WEF Cup followed by a third place finish in the $30,000 WEF Cup Final.
That summer, after leading the Ontario Team to a Gold Medal at the 2003 North American Young Riders’ Championship with Libidou, he was the traveling alternate for the Canadian Show Jumping Team at the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic riding Arriscraft Rocca. In September, he made his senior team debut in the $250,000 BMO Financial Group Nations’ Cup at the prestigious CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' tournament in Calgary, AB.
Keean operates Angelstone Farms and competes with approximately 20 horses in the show ring, including his top grand prix mount, Arriscraft Rocca, purchased from Eric Lamaze.
An avid athlete who enjoys playing hockey, golf and basketball, Keean is a big fan of the Toronto Raptors, citing Vince Carter as his favourite sports idol. He is the only brother to three younger sisters and trains and coaches the eldest, Zrria, in the hunter ring, Madrigal in the jumper ring and the youngest, Trella, in the children’s pony ring. His parents, Starr and Randy, are very supportive of their son’s show jumping career, and Keean even coaches his dad in the senior jumper divisions.
Arriscraft Rocca
1994 bay selle francais gelding by Hurlevent
Owner: Equine Canada
Vienna Rouge
1998 chestnut Belgian Warmblood mare, 16hh by Heartbreaker
Owner: Angelstone Farms and Linda Ratcliffe
Whisper of Mazour
1999 brown Belgian Warmblood gelding, 16.1hh by Darco
Owner: Angelstone Farms
Maharaja D'Armanville
2000 bay selle francais gelding, 16.3hh by Adelfos
Owner: Angelstone Farms |
