On the football field, the 6-3, 220-pound fullback cracks helmets and shoulder pads with opponents.

On hockey skates, he treads backward and delivers bodychecks as a defenseman.

On nights and weekends, he flies through the air atop a 1,500-pound horse.

On purpose.

Five years ago, Olson, a junior from Monticello, became serious about eventing -- best described as an equestrian triathlon.

"Once he first saw it," his mother Isabelle said, "there was no shaking him loose."

Said Olson: "Going as fast as you can and doing big jumps -- especially when you have a good horse -- there's nothing like it."

Not many high school athletes went through the time crunch Olson did last weekend, when horses and football blended together in a memorable series of days.

By 8 a.m. on Friday, Olson had set up at Otter Creek Farm in Wheeler, Wis. -- about 10 miles from Menomonie and the site of this past weekend's three-day eventing competition -- and was participating in the first phase, called dressage, to prove his skills and his horse's suppleness.

He was back in Spanish class in Monticello by 10:05 a.m. To be eligible for that night's football game against Mississippi 8 Conference foe Elk River, he had to be in attendance for at least half of the school day. That night the Magic lost 42-34 to Elk River, but Olson had an 80-yard touchdown run on Monticello's first play from scrimmage.

Olson also carries a 4.0 grade-point average and this semester is taking Advanced Placement calculus and English as part of a course load that includes Spanish III, physics and chemistry. The medical field -- possibly veterinary school -- piques his interest. If that doesn't work out, there's maybe football. Plays like that long TD run vs. Elk River are among the reasons the Gophers and other colleges are giving him a look.

"He's one of these kids who is incredibly driven to be successful in everything he does," Monticello football coach Jason Telecky said. "He doesn't go halfway in anything. He understands what he needs to do, and he pushes himself at it."

A big deal

While most eventing riders aren't as small as horse racing jockeys, Olson's thick frame is a rare sight. Trainer Julie Stenslie had about a dozen students in the entry field of about 200 riders. Olson was her only -- and in 25 years has been her only -- football player in the lot.

"You always hear, 'Every little girl loves horses,' and that is sort of true, but guys that are in this sport are very serious about it," Stenslie said. "They're often at the top of the sport or working their way to the top."

That's true for Olson, who won the first-place ribbon in his division last year. This year, he's aboard Purple Rain (aka Louie), a 5-year-old grey Irish Draught who still is learning his way in competitions. Louie, the fifth horse with which Olson has worked, might be unpredictable, but Olson talks as if he's a grand champion.

"He definitely gets it," Olson said. "He's got a great mind and does everything I ask him. The mistakes he makes typically are my fault. When I do well, he does well."

During Saturday's second phase, called cross-country, Louie pulled up in front of two jumping obstacles. It's known as a refusal, and three of them mean elimination.

"Didn't feel like himself," Olson said back in the barn.

Olson's discouragement was obvious from his body language, which showed a combination of disappointment and fatigue. He also sported a cut on the right side of his lip, a reminder that he had played on both sides of the ball in the previous night's football game.

Achieving balance

Olson is up most mornings before dawn to lift weights or perform other training activities. Then it's a full school day before practice, riding and homework.

"He can put things aside, even in chaos, and concentrate and do it right," Isabelle said. "He's more disciplined than I am."

The competition in Wheeler wrapped up by mid-afternoon on Sunday. Total riding time for the weekend barely touched 15 minutes, but preparation time is exponentially longer.

Eventing is an Olympic sport, but it's far from mainstream. Olson takes it just as seriously as football or hockey.

"This is a sport you can get hurt at," Stenslie said. "Birk has a real dedication. He loves the horses."

It takes hours of riding six days a week to get horse and rider prepared. Olson has learned to make it a priority. He has dropped baseball from his sports repertoire, focusing instead each spring on riding.

"I don't hang out with friends a lot," Olson said. "But you meet a lot of people in this, and it's a rewarding experience. Especially working with the horses."

There's one more competition this fall, in two weeks near Hector, Minn., before Louie will be driven south for the winter. Olson will continue his training at home. It will be mostly for hockey, which demands balance work that helps him be a better rider.

"It's about you riding a horse and having him do something he's never done before," Olson said. "I don't claim to be a trainer, but to some extent I can teach a horse things, and that's really rewarding."