NSBA Youth Spotlight- Olivia Wynn
NSBA NewsBy: Lili Drinkall
If you have not had the chance to meet Olivia Wynn at a horse show yet, you should! This year she is serving as the Illinois Quarter Horse Youth Associations president, so you might get a chance to see her smiling face if you attending an event in the Midwest.
Horses and showing has been a family tradition, even before Olivia was born. Her grandfather Ken Freeman, of Freeman Quarter Horses was an all-around Quarter Horse trainer. Therefore, her mother, aunt and uncle all grew up in the Quarter Horse industry as well. Olivia began to ride at a young age and, by age four, was showing in Leadline.
At fifteen, Olivia already has an impressive list of accolades. Some of her accomplishments include 2018 Level 1 Champion in 13 & Under Showmanship, 2018 Level 1 Rookie Trail Champion, 2018 Top 3 at the Congress in 13 & Under Showmanship, and 2019 AQHYA World Show Horsemanship Finalist. All of these titles were claimed on her first show horse, a buckskin mare called Shesa Good Story, also known as Lily.
At the end of 2019, Olivia decided Lily had earned her retirement. Shortly after, her trainer partnered her with a new horse. She soon began ventures with a four-year-old gelding, Way Beyond Special, affectionately called “Waylon.”
“I am now broadening my horizons,” said Olivia, about showing in Hunter Under Saddle, which is a new class for her. Currently her goal is to start adding more classes to Waylon’s docket.
We all find ourselves in embarrassing moments in life, but horses have a knack for creating some of our most embarrassing – or funny – moments. I asked Olivia what her most embarrassing horse moment was. She told me about a time at the Congress, when she was showing a small fry horse and it started to do a super loud, low pitched whinny during her Equitation pattern! Another funny remembrance she had was trying to ride a pony named Sparkplug, while bareback, and he quickly bucked her off. Needless to say, Olivia is good at rolling with the punches and giggling at the trials horses occasionally deal out to their riders.
In addition to showing horses, Olivia plays volleyball, softball, and is in madrigals. For both sports, she plays on club teams as well. Overall, Olivia Wynn is an excellent horse woman with a bright future. If you have not encountered her yet, when you get the chance, you will be equally enthralled. I wish her the best of luck for the upcoming show season.
