By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Sherborn native Caroline Olsen has been competing on the National Stage in the equestrian world since a very young age. She has won many National Juniors Competitions along this journey, leading her to recently be the top high school recruit in the country for college equestrian this year. While a variety of schools reached out to Olsen, she officially signed her National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, November 13th to attend Division 1 Auburn University in the fall.
When talking with Olsen about her extensive equestrian career, she explained that it was originally her Mother who got her into the sport. “My mom rode horses her whole life,” Olsen explained, “and she is also a trainer herself. When it came time for me to start riding, she had encouraged me to try it out and I quickly fell in love with it.”
Throughout her time within the sport, Olsen has accomplished/achieved a variety of major winnings, but amongst her favorites would be winning Grand Champion at the Junior Hunter National Championships (JHNC) this past June. With her college equestrian career on the horizon, this was Olsen’s last time competing in the JHNC and she is utterly thrilled that it ended on such a sweet note.
However, this is not Olsen’s last competition before starting at Auburn. Earlier this month, she was in Wellington, Florida to compete in the Wellington International - The Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The main competitions happen January through April, with smaller shows happening both before and after. According to the Wellington International website, the WEF is the world’s largest and longest running hunter/jumper horse show.
As Olsen prepares for her time in college, she recognizes that there will ultimately be a difference between her time competing now and that within the future. “It is very different from competing the way that I do now on the circuit ,” Olsen stated, “because the way it normally is is very individualized. It is just you and your horse. So I am excited to be a part of a team and get that experience as well.”
Olsen’s continuous love and dedication for equestrian, mixed with the feeling of home she found on the Auburn University campus, has her utterly thrilled for her upcoming experience as a Auburn Tiger. “I felt the most at home at Auburn,” Olsen detailed, “and it just felt like the best fit for me. The size, the people there, I just loved the environment. I look forward to being back on campus and starting a new equestrian journey with my teammates.”
