Olivia Hamood’s career is one built on success, consistency and results and is a story grounded in patience, hard lessons and a deep respect for the long road that produces both horses and riders.

“I was born into a horsey family,” Olivia says. “My dad was always in the thoroughbred industry, breeding and selling racehorses, and my mum was a Group Prix showjumper. I think I was destined from day one to ride.”

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That destiny showed itself early. “I used to canter around the coffee table with a spoon in my mouth pretending I was a horse jumping books,” she laughs. “Once you’ve got the bug, you’ve got the bug and it never leaves.”

Olivia spent her early years in the hack ring, but the turning point came at just 12 years old. “On my 12th birthday, I won the Junior at the Brisbane Royal Show. That was the end of my hacking days. I said the ponies are going and this is what I want to do.”

Her education in top-level Jumping came early too. Torch Bearer, a former World Cup horse ridden by her mother, became Olivia’s first Junior horse. “He was phenomenal for me,” she says. “He’s the one that really got me off to the start of my jumping career.”

But the step up was not always smooth. “You go from these really good Junior horses to the next step that’s a little more difficult,” Olivia says. “I remember thinking I was amazing, and then realising very quickly I had a lot to learn.”

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That understanding has shaped how Olivia approaches her career today, particularly her breeding program. After spending time in Europe working with Ludo Philippaerts, she returned to Australia with a clear plan.

“I knew I wanted to be in the sport long term,” she says. “For my own longevity, I decided I wanted to breed and produce horses, and also make a business out of it.”

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Her foundation mares produced Normandy GHP and Cha Cha Blue GHP, two horses who would later deliver one of the most remarkable moments of her career. At the Tamworth World Cup qualifier earlier this year, the pair finished first and second, ridden by their new owners.

“I actually had this weird feeling earlier in the day,” Olivia recalls. “I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if both Norm and Chaz were first and second.”

Watching from the sidelines, the emotion caught her by surprise. “After the first round I was pretty chuffed and extremely proud. Then after the jump-off, when they were first and second, I burst into tears. It was one of the best moments of my entire career.”

She had foaled both horses, broken them in herself, and sold them to what she describes as the best homes.

“As a breeder and producer, it was a day I’ll never forget,” she says. “I’m very proud of it.”

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The road to that moment was not without its challenges. Normandy was originally a stallion. “He was quite aggressive on the ground,” Olivia says. “Once he was gelded, he was a completely different horse. Under saddle, he always gave a feeling like no other horse I’ve ever sat on.”

Cha Cha Blue’s story is even more dramatic. “When he was about three months old, he had a horrific paddock accident,” Olivia explains. “He was less than a centimetre from puncturing his heart. To think he’s even here is unbelievable.”

Those experiences have reinforced Olivia’s belief that breeding is only part of the equation. “You can breed the best mare to the best stallion and still not get the best horse,” she says. “Luck plays a part, but so does production and where the horses end up.”

In recent years, Olivia’s resilience has been tested in a very different way. After reaching her early thirties without major injury, she broke her ankle twice in four months, the second resulting in a compound fracture.

“They told me I was quite lucky not to lose my leg,” she says. “The physical recovery was hard, but the mental trauma was something I really underestimated.”

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Returning to riding required confronting fear head-on. “Until you’ve been there, you don’t fully understand the self-doubt that comes with it,” Olivia says. “I look at things differently now. I don’t need to get on breakers anymore.”

Unexpectedly, that period also pushed her into new territory. Olivia accepted an invitation to take part in the Outback Spectacular Mastery of the Horse, stepping into public speaking and performance well outside her comfort zone.

“It was one of the most fabulous things I’ve ever done,” she says. “Standing in front of hundreds of people, talking and explaining, it pushed me in a really good way.”

That renewed confidence carried into 2025, where Olivia claimed the Queensland Senior Championship aboard Diangella.“I remember thinking it might be a little ambitious,” she says. “I told myself I’d get to fence seven and see how it felt.”It felt right. Della jumped clear and then delivered again in the jump-off. “She shocked us all,” Olivia says. “I just had that click with her.”

The win added another chapter to a career already defined by consistency, including three consecutive Katherine Quilty Memorial Trophy titles. “As a woman, that award is the pinnacle of Australian showjumping,” Olivia says. “To win it three times on three different groups of horses is something I feel incredibly privileged to have done.”

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Looking ahead, Olivia remains ambitious but grounded. “Of course, it’s every little girl’s dream to be on an Australian team,” she says. “To do it on a home-bred horse would be the ultimate.”

At the same time, she is clear-eyed about the realities of the sport. “Good business keeps you in the sport,” she says. “I want people to know that if they buy a horse from me, they’re buying quality.”

If she could offer advice to her younger self, it would be simple. “Slow down and enjoy the process,” Olivia says. “I don’t feel the need to rush anymore, and I think that’s made me better.”

It is that balance, between ambition and patience, competition and contribution, that defines Olivia Hamood’s place in Australian Jumping today.

Listen to the full interview with Olivia Hamood on the ‘All Clea Podcast.

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