Olivia Dutton

In this episode of the Practical Horseman Podcast, sponsored by Tribute Equine Nutrition and Farnam, we talk to rising eventing protégée Olivia Dutton—daughter of the legendary eventer Phillip Dutton—fresh off her individual bronze finish with Irish Sport Horse gelding Jewelent at the inaugural FEI Eventing World Championship U25 where they also finished as the highest-placed U.S. combination.

This new FEI championship held at Millstreet International in Cork County, Ireland, was created to help bridge the gap between Young Rider and senior-level competition and saw 40 riders under the age of 25 from 14 different nations compete at the CCI4*-S level. After dressage, Olivia and Jewelent sat in 26th place, but made a stellar comeback over cross country and show jumping to secure the first-ever individual medal for the U.S. at the inaugural championship.

The 24-year-old has blossomed from a wide-eyed, horse-crazy girl into a promising young star in the sport as she carries forward one of eventing's most respected family legacies. In today's podcast, Olivia tells us about her partnership with Jewelent, what it was like having her famous father as a coach growing up and how they continue to navigate the parent-coach dynamics and why she rides for herself as well as for her family’s name.

Growing up riding on the family’s True Prospect Farm in West Grove, Pennsylvania, under the tutelage of her dad—a seven-time Olympian and two-time Olympic gold medalist—Olivia was immersed in the Dutton’s professional eventing operation from time she could walk. Long before recognizing her own competition ambitions, she tagged along with her parents to some of the biggest events around the world where she had the opportunity to watch her dad compete at the highest level of the sport.

While her parents encouraged Olivia to pursue show jumping, she caught the eventing bug by the age of 10 when she began competing with one of her first mounts The Dude. She later took over Santa's Playboy, an off-the-track Thoroughbred who had previously competed at the Advanced level with owner Amy Ruth Borun. In 2016, they were Reserve Champions in the CCI2* at the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event & Team Challenge.

In 2018, she helped Area II capture team gold at the Adequan FEI North American Youth Rider Championships riding Mr. Medicott and went on to compete at increasingly demanding levels, moving up to Intermediate at Carolina International and later stepping into CCI4* competition.

Olivia briefly stepped away from full-time competition to attend the University of Kentucky, where she studied business while continuing to ride and compete on weekends—a balancing act that became a hallmark of her early 20s.

In 2022, she partnered with off-the-track Thoroughbred Sea of Clouds after taking over the ride from her dad, who had produced the gelding to the five-star level and finished in 10th place at the 2022 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L. Olivia and “Socs,” who’d been on the family’s farm since he was a 3-year-old, finished 13th in the 2024 Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S and were eighth in the MARS Bromont CCI4*-L that same year.

Together, the pair has continued to climb the international ranks, contesting multiple CCI4* events, including Bromont International and Boekelo before capturing a standout CCI4*-S victory at the Morven Park Fall International and Horse Trials in 2025.

Tribute

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Farnam

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