While studying at Southland Girls High School, Olivia, 16, has been a member of the Kingswell Pony Club.
Olivia is one of a five member team taking part in the Pony Club International Alliance mounted games in Kentucky in July.
Teams from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia will compete.
Olivia said the mounted games were a variety of relays that tested team work and the agility of riders.
Riders had to move items which included bottles, flags, cups and balls to different parts of the course and then in the last leg pass the item to the next rider to take their turn.
"It’s all very fast."
Riders needed to be "pretty gutsy too, according to Mum".
She was looking forward to meeting new people and being part of the team with her friends Māruawai College student Phoebe Carson from the Mataura club, Ramsey Ashworth of the Mosgiel club and coach Caitlyn Henderson of the Clyde club.
As well as practising on her horse, she ran, biked and did exercises to strengthen her legs and improve her fitness.
She had left school to train horses at Owaka.
She started riding when she was 3 years old and seven years ago started riding in the mounted games.
"I really enjoy it and it will be so cool to represent my country."
She enjoyed the community aspect of the activity.
"It’s extremely friendly and very social."
There was a close relationship between riders and horses.
"You are very connected to your horse when you are doing mounted games."
She had competed as a member of the Otago Southland team and been part of the New Zealand mounted games squad.
