Serena Ireland and Royalty R. Image by Ashley Grant - The Blachat.
For most riders, the dream is to one day represent their country. For very few, it becomes a reality. For Serena Ireland, the call came at an unexpected time with the horse she didn’t imagine would take here there – but one thing was for certain, she was not going to let the opportunity slide.
Now leaving for Texas on 16 March, Serena reflects on her journey with Royalty R (Regardez Moi x Jive Magic), fondly known as Rusty, the horse she has produced from Novice to soon representing Australia at the FEI World Cup Final.
Serena and Rusty competing at Sydney CDI. Image by Roger Fitzhardinge.
BUILDING A PARTNERSHIP
Serena has been riding Rusty for seven years, and their partnership has grown almost entirely from the ground up. When she first began riding him, he was a young horse still finding his way.
“He’d basically done very little,” she recalls. “He was seven and I don’t think he’d even had a Novice start yet.”
Rusty had originally been purchased by Tracy Watson as a three-year-old from Auction of the Stars. At the time, he was only lightly handled and the sort of horse that needed patience rather than pressure.
“He was so scared of everything,” Serena says. “So he was brought along really slowly.”
By the time Serena entered the picture, she had just returned from training overseas in Germany and was looking for horses to ride. Rusty became one of the first training horses she took on.
What started as a professional ride soon turned into something more permanent.
“He was actually going to go on the market about six months after I started training him,” Serena explains. “But I ended up buying half of him… and then a few years later I bought the rest.”
The decision was not based solely on talent.
“He had the same heart and work ethic as my previous horse, Rocky. I’d already experienced that kind of brain and knew how well I clicked with it.”
“I remember watching
the Grand Prix Freestyles;
I knew that was what
I wanted to do….”
THE PONY THAT STARTED IT ALL
Long before Rusty, there was another horse who quietly shaped Serena’s career: a small grey pony named He’s A Rockstar, known as Rocky, bought from the $1,000-and-under section of Horse Deals.
Whilst young riders with young horses are not always the ideal match, Rocky carried Serena through her teenage years. The pair learned together, with Rocky going from a green four-year-old to competing locally at Grand Prix by the time Serena was 17.
“He had a heart of gold,” she says. “He was a real trouper and suffered through all my learning and figuring things out.”
“He really started it all,” Serena smiles. “He and I remember watching the Grand Prix Freestyles at Sydney CDI and I knew that was what I wanted to do.”
Serena Ireland and Royalty R won the Martin Collins Open CDN Prix St Georges at Brisbane CDI in 2022. Image by Derek O’Leary Photography.
LEARNING IN GERMANY
After finishing school and keen to learn more, Serena planned to travel to Germany for six months… three years later she returned home.
During that time, she was based in Hamburg at Boernsen with trainer Judy Allmeling, immersing herself in the European dressage system.
“I just went there and dug deep,” she says. “Head down, bum up. I just wanted to learn – ride, train, watch, absorb everything.”
That mentality still shapes the way she approaches her business today. “I was so desperate to immerse myself and learn from the best,” she says. “And that mindset has never really left.”
THE ROAD TO GRAND PRIX
Training a horse to Grand Prix is rarely straightforward, and Serena is quick to dismiss the idea that any journey to the top level is easy.
“I don’t think there’s ever an easy road to Grand Prix,” she says. “Everyone has hurdles.”
But Rusty has one trait that has helped them navigate those challenges: an extraordinary work ethic. “I honestly don’t think I’ve met a horse with a better work ethic,” Serena says. “He always shows up.”
That attitude has made him a consistent performer in the competition arena, earning admiration from judges and audiences alike. “He’s always been really good in competition,” she says. “He’s just one of those horses that tries.”
Even so, Serena acknowledges that their journey has required patience, persistence and plenty of problem solving along the way.
“It hasn’t been easy,” she says. “But I feel really luck with the run we’ve had.”
That “run” includes winning the 2022 Aachen Challenge at Dressage and Jumping with the Stars, claiming the Medium Tour Championship at the 2023 Brisbane CDI and the 2024 Dressage by the Sea at Willinga Park, and then following it up by winning the CDN Grand Prix Freestyle at Willinga in 2025.
THE REALITY OF PROFESSIONAL RIDING
Like many professional riders, Serena must balance passion with practicality – which led to her advertising Rusty for sale in November of 2025.
“When you’re self-employed, that’s how it works,” she explains. “You bring these horses along and eventually you have to sell them if you want to do adult things like buy a house.”
With Rusty’s strong performance record and confidence in the arena, Serena knew he had reached a stage where another rider could learn a lot from his experience. “He’s the ultimate professor now,” she smiles.
However, when the opportunity to compete internationally appeared, that plan was put on hold.
Serena Ireland and Royalty R were the winners of the Aachen Challenge in 2022. Image by Click Capture Photography.
THE CALL THE CHANGED EVERYTHING
Serena was on holidays with friends when she received the call that set this entire adventure in motion.
“We were getting ready to go out and when my friend walked in, she could see I was really teary,” Serena laughs. “I had to mute the call and say, ‘No, no, it’s a good thing!’”
“This is something we all dream of doing,” she says.
But alongside the excitement came a wave of logical questions: how to get there, how to organise everything, and how to make the opportunity work.
Despite the uncertainty, Serena never considered turning it down. “I didn’t know how I was going to make it happen,” she says. “But I knew saying no just wasn’t an option.”
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
In times of uncertainty, the dressage community often rallies together – and Serena’s journey has been no exception.
A donation page was created to help support the trip, while Christine Crawford spearheaded a silent auction aimed at raising additional funds.
“The support was overwhelming, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” Serena says.
The number of people who donated to either the auction or the donation page reflects the strength and generosity of the Australian dressage community. Currently the donation page has raised $23,270 across 122 donations and the silent auction raised a further $18,407, whilst the intended goal of $75,000 is still out of reach, the donation page is still open and both Rusty and Serena depart from Australia on Monday 16 March.
PREPARING FOR THE UNKNOWN
In the weeks leading up to departure, Serena has focused on controlling the details she can – and accepting the ones she can’t. The preparation list has been extensive: farrier work, biomechanical assessment, massage therapy, feed organisation, training rides and travel logistics.
Rusty’s final shoeing before departure was handled by Sandy Parker, a farrier who has worked with the Australian teams for decades and almost just as long for Serena.
“He’s got me all set up,” Serena says. “The shoes he’s going to compete in, spare shoes, backups – and anything more I could possibly think of.”
Rusty also underwent gait analysis using AI-assisted biomechanical testing, with Dr Alanna Harris from Move Unleashed to ensure he was moving evenly and comfortably before travel.
“He’s straight, relaxed and feeling really good,” she says.
Alanna will also be making the trip over to the US alongside Serena’s mum to help with the preparation and keep them both on track heading into the event.
“Alanna will be there a few days before we head in to the venue, so she’ll be able to watch him train, treat him accordingly and make sure he’s really happy.”
Another aspect of the preparation is that not all feeds used in Australia are stocked in America.
“I’m very very lucky in the I’ve been using Benchmark Horse Feeds for the last five years and have a really close friendship with them. Colin [Price] and his team have been amazing and whilst their feed is not stocked over there, his son Cam is based in the UK and his own line, Keyflow Feeds, which is stocked in the US. Together, they have worked out what feed and ratios Rusty should be on when he gets there.
“It has been a massive weight off my shoulders because when you have a top performing horse the last thing you want is to change their diet, but I am confident that this will be as smooth as possible and they have organised nutritionists and vets on standby for when I arrive,” Serena shares.
Alongside the preparation, Serena and Rusty have both had their regular massage from Stacey Baker.
“She’s worked with us for 15 years,” Serena shares. “It’s really good to have someone who treats both horses and riders. It allows her to align both of us and also work out whose fault the sore spots are,” she laughs.
It’s easy to forget that riders are athletes as well and need just as much consideration as our four-legged partners, something Serena has strived to action. Alongside Stacey, Serena also works with Daniel Moffat-Martin who is personal trainer, to make sure she is just as strong as Rusty.
“It’s easy to put the horse first and forget about yourself,” she admits.
Serena and Rusty cantering into a PB score in the EBM Grand Prix Freestyle at Willinga Park. Image by Ashley Grant – The Blachat.
THE MENTAL CHALLENGE
For Serena, competing at Grand Prix level can sometimes feel confronting.
“It’s quite difficult mentally,” she admits. That awareness has shaped the way she approaches her preparation. Rather than focusing purely on results, she prioritises mindset and perspective.
“There’s a choice in how you feel about this,” she says. “Yes, the experience is intimidating, yes, I’m stressed, yes, I’m anxious, yes, it’s terrifying,” she laughs. “But also – how cool is this?”
When doubt creeps in, she reminds herself of her love for riding in the first place. “I think about ten-year-old Serena sitting at Sydney CDI watching her first Grand Prix Freestyle and thinking, ‘I’m going to do that one day.’ That memory help keeps everything in perspective.”
This mindset focus was the main goal for her last Australian competition in the lead up at Willinga Park’s Dressage by the Sea.
“My priority at Willinga was headspace. Scratching from the Intermediate II was a really great call as it gave us the opportunity to just train with my coach, Robert Schmerglatt, those extra days and just focus on the tests I need to focus on.”
“In the warmup for the Grand Prix he was super on point! The test itself didn’t end up going exactly how we’d hoped but I felt ultimately like I knew where it went wrong and how to fix that and up until it did, we were scoring significantly better.”
“Even at Grand Prix it’s still a rollercoaster and coming out of a test when things aren’t exactly what you hoped they would be is hard. Ultimately, I think my goals are centred around what I want to achieve and not the score; I was there for me, and I was there for him, which helped prepare us for the next day where we got a PB in the freestyle. I was really happy with him, particularly as it was a new freestyle and it gives Maddi Foster (who helped create it) a chance to tweak anything before Texas.”
TRUSTING THE PARTNERSHIP
If there is one thing Serena feels confident about it, it is her relationship with Rusty. “I’ve never known a horse better than I know him,” she says.
In a sport filled with variables – travel stress, unfamiliar arenas, new environments – that partnership may be her greatest advantage. “He’s a really sweet gelding,” she says. “He kind of has that attitude of, ‘Well, if Mum says it’s okay, then it must be okay.’”
Going into an atmosphere bigger than anything Australia has, having a horse like Rusty who prefers busy environments is also an advantage. “I’ve always found he’s actually better indoors,” Serena says. “The more people there are, the better he is.”
That calm reliability is something she hopes will carry them through the excitement of international competition.
A FINAL COUNTDOWN
The final week before departure has been a carefully balanced schedule of work and rest.
Hard training sessions have gradually tapered off, replaced with lighter rides and stretching work to keep Rusty relaxed and his muscles loose.
“I don’t want to overdo it,” Serena explains. “He’s incredibly fit right now – probably in the best form he’s ever been.”
Travel plans have also been arranged to minimise stress. Rusty will enjoy as much paddock time as possible before leaving home, keeping his routine as normal as possible until the last moment.
Then the journey begins.
Despite the complexity of the preparations, Serena keeps returning to a simple principle: focus on what is within your control. “There are so many variables,” she says. “So the key is keeping everything you can control consistent.”
It is a mindset that applies both in and out of the saddle.
For Serena, this journey isn’t just about scores or rankings. It’s about embracing the opportunity – and remembering why the dream began in the first place.
“Yes, it’s scary,” she says. “But it’s also incredible.”
And when the moment finally arrives – when Serena and Rusty step down the centreline – it will represent years of work, partnership and belief.
Not just the dream of a rider, but the dream of a little girl in the stands, watching a Grand Prix freestyle and imagining that one day, she might be there too. EQ
Related articles
Vale Don Rubin, the remarkable Grand Prix partner and heart horse of Susan Elekessy, whose intelligence, generosity and quiet determination carried their partnership to the highest level of dressage.
The 10th anniversary of Dressage by the Sea at Willinga Park marked a significant milestone — a decade of extraordinary competition, remarkable horses, and performances that have steadily elevated the national standard.