Oaks Cassanova: From Humble Origins to World Cup Glory

with Sam and Carly Overton

They say good things come in small packages, and for Sam and Carly Overton, that is certainly true with Oaks Cassanova, also known as Ed. Standing at only 15.3hh, Ed and Sam have been on an accelerated journey, entering their first World Cup qualifier in 2021, winning the World Cup series in 2022, and travelling to Omaha in the US for the World Cup finals in 2023. Horse Deals spoke to Sam and Carly to learn more about the super-talented but quirky Ed.

SYNOPSIS

Stable Name: Ed or Little Ed

Height: 15.3hh

Age: 15

Breeding: Sire: Ego Casablanca. Dam: Oaks Alto.

Owner: Sam and Carly Overton

Rider: Sam Overton

Top 5 results: 
Winner of the Australian World Cup League 2022
Represented Australia at the World Cup Final in Omaha, Nebraska
Represented Team Australia - Nations Cup of Canada 
Winner of the Summer Classic World Cup Qualifier 2023
Winner of the Tamworth World Cup Qualifier 2022

How did Ed come into your life? On a trip to Perth to look at another horse for sale, we came across an advert for him. The breeding was impressive, and although the ad said he was 15.2hh, we thought oh well, we will go and have a quick look.

What was it about Ed that appealed to you? He was just an absolutely natural jumper, so athletic.   

What was your first ride on him like? When we went to look at him, he had been free-jumped but had not jumped under saddle, so it was an interesting trial!  He was very green, still built extremely downhill, so very unbalanced, and cheeky as anything - he went around the jump a few times, LOL.  But after the third jump he jumped, we (Carly and I) looked at each other and knew that we couldn’t not buy him.

Did you have any training issues? There were a few; Ed is only small, but boy, is he strong! It took years of trial and error to find the right bit set up for him and, most importantly, giving him time to develop in strength and maturity to be able to actually carry his own head. Our friend Anthony Murray took him on training for us when we were overseas for a holiday - Anthony did an amazing job with him, and I still give him credit for turning Ed into something manageable! 

What was your first competition together, and how did it go? We took him to a little jump day at Park Ridge; he was very keen to get at the jumps!

When did you realise his talent? The day we tried him.

Most treasured moment together? Winning the David Overton Memorial Cup.

In a previous interview, you mentioned that the journey with Ed hasn’t always been smooth sailing and easy; tell us a bit about this. Ed was a tricky guy and still can be. He is very careful, very clever, and very strong. Initially, if he didn’t like the look of a jump, he would do a big fly-by and not go anywhere near it…. It would happen four or five strides out. It was like you were asking him to jump a cow.

In 2023, you ventured overseas; what was this experience like, and how did Ed cope with the big events? There were some fantastic moments and some very tough and stressful moments. As Carly often sums it up “it was all the things.”  
The trip in itself is a massive undertaking, and with very limited flight options - the decision regarding arrival and preparation time was really not an option. It was now or never.

Ed travelled and settled in well and had a great preparation at the World Equestrian Centre, Ohio. It was an indoor venue, which was a good thing as it was snowing outside.   

At Omaha, he lost some confidence; how did you rebuild this in preparation for the other events you had on the calendar while abroad? Yeah, that was a tough night. He jumped so great on the first round and coped so well with the arena - lights, LED signs, the immense pressure! He warmed up with King Edward; just wow! But the poor bloke really struggled with the overall atmosphere of the venue. He wasn’t himself and wouldn’t settle in the stable (actually wouldn’t go into his stable for the first few hours). We thought he was going to stress colic the first day we arrived.  He didn’t then, but he did straight after the second round. I was so lucky to have some great vets on hand to treat him immediately. 

After Omaha, we took him back to Kentucky. I flew home and then came back and did one national-level show at Kentucky Horse Park. Ed was not so confident the first day, but by the end of the show, he was back and had jumped a good GP round, which was a good thing, as we left for Vancouver the following week!

The shows at Thunderbird Park (Vancouver) were amazing. Ed really enjoyed being out on the huge grass arena and was back to his old self. He placed 7th in a 5-Star and 10th in a 2-Star class before the 1.60m 5-Star Nations Cup. In the first round, his above-mentioned trickiness came about in the first round, and Ed took a dislike to the water but then jumped it and completed the round. In the second round - he was just unreal! It was such an amazing experience to represent Australia, I am forever grateful for Ed taking us on the adventure of a lifetime.

Ed was named the 2023 Horse of the Year; what is the key to Ed’s consistent success? To keep him happy and confident.   

Most annoying habit or quirk? Dragging people around on the lead.

How does he handle the big occasions? Ed knows when it’s a big class. This has really become apparent in the last couple of years. In the warm-up classes at a show, sure, he is excited, but these days, he kind of stays within himself. He is not spending his energy in the warm-up arena like he used to. When it is the day of a big class, he quietly knows it - he is calm in the stable and mostly calm in the warm-up arena. We only jump a handful of fences before a big class, maybe two smaller verticles, a medium oxer, a big oxer, and finish with a tall verticle. Usually, before cantering off for the last fence, he will have a buck and a play beforehand. And we know it’s game on.

At just 15.3hh, how does Ed handle the courses designed more towards the larger striding horses? I have always believed that Ed has a big stride; he definitely has a big stride for a 15.3hh horse. In Australia, we never really had any difficulty getting around the big courses here, we always had a big stride up our sleeve. At the World Cup Final in the US was the first time I felt that I was on a little horse. The combination of the small indoor arena, short, tight turns, big and wide jumps, and tough lines meant we were at our maximum making the strides.  Thinking just now...it was probably more to do with not having enough response to move up. These great horses, like King Edward, are like an F1.  

Clearly, you have a strong partnership with Ed. Why is he so special to you? Ed is a horse that has taken me from being a good amateur rider to competing with the best showjumping competitors in the world.  When Ed and I won the Queensland State Senior Title in May 2021, I realised that maybe we could jump the big jumps. We didn’t have to go fast, just jumped two clear rounds over what was, at the time, the biggest course I had seen. I entered my first World Cup qualifier that same year, cleared the first round, and came 10th. Entered my first Australian Senior Championships and came third. We did the entire World Cup qualifying season in 2022 and won the series. Then, I just took the next step and went to the US to compete in the World Cup Final in April 2023. That was in just two short years. We went from thinking maybe we could jump Grand Prix to competing with the best in the world in Omaha at the World Cup Final. It all happened incredibly quickly.

Weekly training regime? Ed is ridden on the flat five days a week; if there are no shows within that week - he may have an easy jumping session. We don’t do any grid or gymnastic work. He knows how to jump; it is just making sure he is fit and well. A typical workout when he is reasonably fit is ten minutes walking, five minutes loose rein trot, five minutes collected trot (smaller circles, my version of a half-pass), five minutes relaxed canter straight into at least another five minutes collected canter...moving him forwards and backwards in the canter, small collected circles, counter canter...basically, I have him so that I can canter all over the arena, forward, backward, left and right circles all on the one lead and have him never losing collection. He has the best canter of any horse I have ever ridden.

What is the first thing on your shopping list for him? Carrots and fly spray.

When was the last time he made you laugh or cry? December - winning the World Cup. Or talking to anyone about him when I’ve had too many wines, LOL.

What celebrity does he remind you of? Allan Langer.

What has he taught you as a rider? That a horse can take you to unbelievable places, I’m so blessed to have Ed in our lives.

What’s on the cards for 2024? Starting off the year with a focus on the GDP Classic Grand Prix and then on to the World Cup series. Who knows, I might try and give it a crack again!

3 things we don’t know about Oaks Cassanova?
1. Most of the people who know him won’t take him for a walk on the lead at shows, and Sam always has to do it. Everybody is worried that he will take off and run away because he does, LOL.
2. After he jumps, Ed has to rub his head. On Sam (with a towel). Yes, it’s a bad habit, but it was a deal they made a long time ago... jump well = face rubs.
3. He is really one-sided…cantering to the left, he drops his shoulder and cuts his corners…to the right, he falls to the outside and bulges out on his shoulder. In competition, there is a significant difference in the approach to a jump on a tight left or tight right lead… It’s almost automatic now, and neither of us thinks about it too much, but it is still definitely there.