NextGen Equine proudly supports Serena as a sponsored rider, celebrating the achievements earned through her dedication to clients, students and horses, and her contribution to the sport of Dressage.
Read about Serena & Rusty's trip via various media articles:
Serena began riding at just three years old on a naughty grey pony named Misty at Pony Club. By the age of 10, she had set her sights firmly on dressage, taking over the ride on her mother’s pony, He’s a Rockstar (Rocky), who was then competing at Novice level.
Serena’s progression was rapid. By 12 years old, she and Rocky were competing at Advanced level and were selected to represent New South Wales at the National Championships. At just 17, Serena made her Grand Prix debut and qualified for her first international competition, the Sydney CDI.
After completing her Higher School Certificate in 2015, Serena relocated to Hof Boernsen in Hamburg, Germany, to work as a pupil under renowned Grand Prix trainers and riders Judy Allmeling and Sven Dapper. During her time in Germany, Serena campaigned multiple horses, achieving numerous wins and placings up to Prix St George level. Her dedication and skill saw her promoted to Assistant Trainer for the final 18 months of her tenure.
Serena’s years at Hof Boernsen provided invaluable, hands-on experience producing high-performance dressage horses, from young prospects through to FEI level.
Returning to Australia in 2019, Serena established Serena Ireland Dressage in Medowie, NSW. The business quickly grew, with Serena building a strong client base for coaching, campaigning competition horses, and preparing sale horses.
One of Serena’s most significant partnerships is with Royalty R (Rusty), who has been with her for seven years. Starting at Novice level, Rusty was one of Serena’s first training horses when she launched her business. Together, they are now commencing their second year at Grand Prix. In their debut Grand Prix season, Serena and Rusty qualified and have just represented Australia at the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in April 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
For Serena and Rusty, this was an incredible honour built on years of dedication, grit, and belief. This selection represents not only individual excellence, but the success of an Australian-bred horse competing at the highest level.
Serena can be contacted on +61 458 001 347 for business and media enquiries.
Follow Serena via social media on Facebook & Instagram.
Photo Credit for both photos | Kate Sheffield Photography
