About the Rider

My name is Olivia, and I’m what happens when that horse-crazy girl you knew in middle school grows up.

After showing at a low level throughout middle and high school, I stayed away from the barn for several years; graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Biological Engineering, moved to northern Virginia, got a big-girl job. Everything was going well, but something was missing.

So I found a local barn in September ’14, signed up for weekly lessons, and breathed a sigh of relief that once a week I could have my hobby. End of story.

Ha.

Three months later I started half-leasing my girl Addy.

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Five months later I stepped back into the show ring for the first time in 10 years.

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Eight months later I tried the jumpers for the first time.

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Seventeen months later I used up most of my savings and all my vacation time to compete down in Ocala.

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Eighteen months later, I took the plunge and bought myself a horse.

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A year and a half was all it took to go from testing the waters to spending 6 days a week training with my very own unicorn. It’s been a whirlwind couple of years back in the saddle, but I can’t imagine my life any other way.

Francis and I currently compete mainly in the jumper ring – he’s taken me from the 0.80m classes to 1.15m and has gone around at 1.20m with my trainer – but we’ll dabble in anything that looks like a good time. We spend our days working hard and having a blast, whether that’s testing out the eq classes, going XC, hacking around the neighborhood, or developing our skills. I’m convinced he’s the world’s most perfect horse. Go read some of my posts about him and I think you’ll agree. He’s proven to be the best partner I could ask for with the sweetest disposition, and we have so much fun training and competing together!

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When I’m standing on my own two legs I enjoy smiling, reading fantasy and historical fiction, making lists, buying everything off of Facebook ads, hanging out with my amazing husband and playing with my sweet daughter, spending time in the sun, and figuring out how to be a functional adult. I’ll have to get back to you on that last one.

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