Cup Winning Jockey Larry Olsen's Wife Dies
- Tuesday, 01 November 2011 09:16
Maureen Olsen, wife of former top jockey Larry Olsen, has died on the anniversary of her husband's Melbourne Cup victory on Kensei in 1987.
Olsen, 61, died on Tuesday after a short battle with cancer in hospital at the Gold Coast.
She originally came from Townsville and moved to Brisbane to work with former leading Queensland trainer, the late Fred Best, in the early 1960s.
"Maureen used to strap for Fred and rode a lot of trackwork for him at Eagle Farm before we married about 40 years ago," Larry Olsen said.
"Everyone that met Maureen loved her. She was her own individual."
The Olsens were part of Melbourne Cup celebrations at Flemington last year but could not return this year when she became ill about six weeks ago.
"She told me she wanted to hang on for Melbourne Cup day and she did," Olsen said.
"We were at the Cup last year and it was a great reunion that day and I just feel she hung on long enough to get an early seat in the grandstand."
Olsen is survived by her husband, three adult children and five grand children.
Funerals arrangements have yet to be made.
