Mary-Kate Olsen made a rare public appearance over the weekend competing in the Longines Global Champions Tour, in Paris, France. The Daily Mail snapped photos of the fashion designer in her signature show jumper look: black blazer, white button down, matching white jodhpurs, and of course, black knee-high equestrian boots paired with black leather gloves and a helmet.
The Longines Global Champions Tour happens annually in France, and Olsen has competed there before in 2019. The top ranked equestrians around the world are invited to compete in the prestigious event, including Olympic medalist Jessica Springsteen (yes, Bruce’s daughter).
According to her HITS rider profile, Olsen has been riding horses since she was just 6 years old. Olsen learned how to ride on the set of her first feature length movie alongside her sister, Ashley Olsen, in To Grandmother’s House We Go. “I was 6 when I first fell in love and it was with a pony named 4×4,” she said to the HITS association. As a young actress balancing work and school at a very young age, Olsen was glad to have riding in her life saying, “Having horseback riding as an outlet was super important because it allowed me to have another life and outlet outside of work and school.”
After taking a hiatus when she moved to New York, Olsen came back to the sport saying that riding, “Allows me to practice being accepting, patient, disciplined, compassionate, competitive, and all of those other emotions that are very important to have in your everyday life.” In fact, some of her designs for The Row are inspired by equestrian wear. The designer told HITS, “One of The Row’s first blazers was inspired by one of my first show jumping coats.” Adding, “My sister and I always think about fit and comfort when designing anything which is important in equestrian clothing as well.”
Of course, The Row designer looked effortlessly chic while flying over a series of intricate jumps in Paris. And it appears she did well in the end, posing for photos with a ribbon hanging on her horse’s bridle.
