Play it again Sam! Overton and Oaks Cassanova win again
Above: Sam Overton and Oaks Cassanova with Judges Kevin Taranto and Michael Archer and Sponsors Wyndham City Council. Photo Credit: Simon Sully Photography.
The second leg of the 2024 Australian FEI World Cup season was held this afternoon at the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre (WPNEC) as part of the Dressage and Jumping with the Stars (DJWTS) multi-discipline equine extravaganza. Held in cool, breezy conditions, the class was a wonderfully exciting affair, which kept an enthralled crowd on the edge of their seats right to the end of the two-round competition.
A field of 23 combinations were entered to compete over a track, put together by course designer, Gavin Chester. Round 1 saw very few combinations incur time penalties, however, there were two eliminations. A total of five combinations went clear, each afforded the luxury of starting the second round on zero penalties.
According to World Cup rules, the top 12 in Round 1 were invited to contest Round 2, while carrying forward any faults incurred in the first round. This meant that the second-round field consisted of the five clears, four 4-faulters and the fastest three of the eight faulters.
The first combination out in the second round was Clem Smith and Oaks Conjuror, who took two rails to finish on a total of 16 and out of contention for the podium. The next two combinations on course were Gemma Creighton and Dada Des Brimbelles Z and Ally Lamb and Eagle Rock. Both of these took a single rail to take their totals to 12 penalties each and they would go on to fill eleventh and tenth positions, respectively.
The next four combinations on course all came into the second round carrying four penalties with them. Kate Rowe and Tulara Konnekta and Billy Raymont and Tulara Dakchico each took a rail to finish on a total of eight penalties while the other two combinations, Frida Lindgren and Van Damme and Madeline Sinderberry and Gredstedgaards Number One, each went clear to finish on a total of four and thereby put some pressure on the five first round clear combinations to follow. Sinderberry and Gredstedgaards Number One ended the competition in sixth place, going one better than their seventh place in this class last year.
The last five combinations in this class put on a wonderful display of jumping for both the assembled crown and those watching online. All five combinations replicated their first-round clear performances, to all be equal on a total of zero, so it came down to times to sort out the placings.
First out of the fantastic five were Mattea Davidson and Checkamour D, the winners of the first leg of the series at Shepparton last weekend. They finished in 56.54 seconds, however, this was not enough to feature on the podium this week. Next out were Phillip Lever and Billionaire NZPH. Their time of 52.36 seconds saw them eventually fill third place, a welcome improvement from their fifth placing last week. Jennifer Wood and Cocaine Ego Z were the next combination to tackle the course, however, their time of 52.99 seconds was not enough to snatch the provisional lead from the pair that went before them.
The penultimate pair of Robert Palm and Jaybee Vibrant were brilliant, getting around the course in just 52.31 to eclipse the leader by just 0.05 seconds. They knew that the worst they could do was finish second as the final combination entered the arena.
The winners of the 2022 Australian World Cup Qualifying Series Sam Overton and Oaks Cassanova have been in good form for early in 2024, having won the Grand Prix at the GDP classic at Boneo Park a month ago as well as placing third in last week’s Shepparton Leg. They showed once again that they will be a force in this year’s series with a scintillating round. Sam and his pocket rocket gelding scooted around the course to break the 50 second barrier. Their time of 49.96 seconds was well over two seconds faster than their nearest rival, showing a clean pair of heels to claim the victory.
It was a wonderful ride, which rounded out what was a magnificently entertaining afternoon, showing off the best this sport has to offer. This combination could hardly been off to a better start this season and look like solid contenders to challenge for the title again, after they spend considerable time overseas in 2023. Only time will tell.
After being spoilt by having the first two legs of the Australian Season run on consecutive weekends, we have to wait for five weeks until the third leg is conducted at Larapinta in Queensland in late April. We can hardly wait!
The first 12 placings in this class were as follows:
WYNDHAM CITY – FEI JUMPING WORLD CUP
PLACE | RIDER | HORSE |
1st | Sam Overton | Oaks Cassanova |
2nd | Robert Palm | Jaybee Vibrant |
3rd | Phillip Lever | Billionaire NZPH |
4th | Jennifer Wood | Cocaine Ego Z |
5th | Mattea Davidson | Checkamour D |
6th | Madeline Sinderberry | Gredstedgaards Number One |
7th | Frida Lindgren | Van Damme |
8th | Billy Raymont | Tulara Dakchico |
9th | Kate Rowe | Tulara Connekta |
10th | Ally Lamb | Eagle Rock |
11th | Gemma Creighton | Dada Des Brimbelles Z |
12th | Clem Smith | Oaks Conjuror |
Results sourced from online-equipe.