The Scoop with Zoë Vorenas

This article is from the April 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

Age: 23
Lives: Melbourne, Victoria
Occupation: Student

How would you describe yourself? Hardworking, stubborn and a bit of a dreamer!

When were you bitten by the horse bug? I started riding when I was three, after my parents made the mistake of putting me on the pony rides down near St Kilda Beach — Dad jokingly refers to this as the single worst decision he has ever made. After this, I began riding lessons at Warranwood Equestrian Centre, where I learnt all of the basics of riding. I spent time doing cross country, showjumping, gymkhanas, games and everything in between at Yarra Valley Equestrian Centre before moving to Wyronga Park when I was 10 or 11. From then on, I was in love with dressage, completely smitten. I got my first horse at 13 and it just grew from there.

What’s the standout memory of your childhood? I was really lucky to have parents who absolutely loved travel, so when I was in year three in primary school, we spent about six months in Europe, just exploring. It was an amazing experience and I actually remember a lot of where we went and the things we saw and did. I think that’s where my love for travel began, too.

Tell us about your first horse. The first horse I owned after my lease was a handsome chestnut Warmblood called Moo. Moo was such a challenge at times, but I definitely learned a lot from him. He was never naughty, never spooky, but he was easily the most stubborn horse I’d met at times. It was only later that I found out that the W lines could be rather tedious, but that said, he was also the best horse in the world. He was my best friend through so much, so many major moments in my life; I really appreciated his quirky personality. The beginning of our partnership was hard, but once I won him over, there was nothing we couldn’t do. Over the years, Moo and I progressed through the grades from Prelim up to PSG with the help of my coaches, Glenda and Faye Hinchliffe.

We can only imagine that being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 17 was extremely challenging and scary. What kept you going on the toughest of days? Well, that’s a hard one to answer, you know. At the time, you don’t really sit and think about what’s going on — or at least I didn’t, not most of the time. When I first became ill, there was so much uncertainty about what was going on, how this was going to progress, what was going to end up happening… That unknown was the scariest part. Once we knew what we were dealing with, I think it all started to sink in and really hit me. That’s when the horses played a vital role. We, as equestrians, know how therapeutic they can be, but I can honestly say that the benefits of being around them and riding, outweighed all the physiotherapy and OT I’d done at that point! Even something as simple as brushing Moo, it started to bring back the feeling to my hands. They also never judged me, never looked at me with pity, and certainly didn’t mind pausing to eat grass about a hundred times on the way up from the paddock when I couldn’t do the walk in one go! I was also very lucky that my family was incredibly supportive during the early days, and have continued to be, even six years on. My friends have been amazing, and never allowed me to feel like I was alone in my diagnosis. They were there with me every step of the way. And of course, my amazing partner, who would come visit me in hospital every day despite also being in the midst of year 12. Esther has continued to stick by me, supporting my horsey adventures and even learning how to ride. Plus, she grooms for me sometimes at competitions — how good is that?!

How has your condition changed since you were first diagnosed? In a way, it’s definitely stabilised, thanks to the medication I’m on. I had a very rapid and progressive onset to my MS, so to have it under some sort of control is very reassuring. In other ways, I’ve developed a few other issues stemming from my MS that I’ve had to learn to cope with and manage, but honestly, I consider myself lucky. Back when I was diagnosed I was told I’d most likely be wheelchair-bound by the end of 2014, so I try to make the most of every day.

When were you able to compete again and how did that change your perception and goals? I was back in the saddle a week or so after I was discharged, after around three and a half months in and out of hospital. Glenda and Faye were the ones who suggested I look into the world of Para Sport, and shortly after I contacted Equestrian Australia. I had my Para Equestrian debut as a Grade V in Hartpury, UK, at the Hartpury Festival of Dressage in 2015 as part of the Australian team. I’d been based in Holland for a couple of months, training with my mare, Verona, towards selection for Rio 2016. Honestly, for me, it was so vital to have a goal and a plan in mind and to work towards. It gave me a purpose at a time when I felt completely lost. It was a challenging time, because often I was faced with people who meant well and who didn’t understand, and they’d say things along the lines of how lucky I was to be living my dreams and doing all I was doing. But at the time, when I was grieving the loss of my health and all that I thought my life would be, it didn’t really feel like I was particularly lucky. I suppose now, nearly six years on, I count myself lucky for all the days I’m well enough to do the things I love, and having a goal is so important.

What challenges do you face physically and mentally while riding and how do you overcome them? Physically, the challenges vary from day to day. Some days, I have to contend with my fatigue, other days my legs decide they don’t want to cooperate; sometimes my balance is particularly bad… It all depends. MS is like that, though, different day to day, and if I’m not careful and I overdo it, sometimes I end up paying for it in the long term. I suppose part of learning to overcome these issues is more working out how to manage them. They are still going to be there, so it’s been more about working out what we do to minimise the effects. I’m lucky to have a groom who helps me out a few times a week with the horses, which takes out a lot of the physical demands, like going to get the boys from their paddocks and so on.
The mental blocks and challenges I face generally come in the form of a lot of “what ifs!” What if it’s not good enough, what if I fail, what if this happens, what if that happens… Oh, I can drive myself crazy running in circles in my head. But I think the thing that I have really learnt the most, is that you need to plan and prepare for these “what ifs.” Write down a game plan for every scenario that you can come up with in your head. “What if he springs a shoe and I only get a five minute warm-up?” Well, that could happen, so practice for it. Run through that exact situation, that way, if it happens, it’s not a massive shock and you know that you’ve worked through it before. Of course, there is always going to be the “what ifs” that you can’t control, but by being prepared, I’ve found it takes a lot of the stress out of the whole thing.

What do you love about dressage? Everything! The finesse, the precision, the learning.

Tell us about your newest horse in the stables; Neversfelde Kipling. Kip is the new kid in the stable! I purchased him in April, shortly before the Sydney CPEDI event. He is a nine-year-old gelding by Fürst Love, out of the well-known Neversfelde Kudu. He is a big boy, standing at about 18hh, but is definitely a gentle giant. His previous owner, Jim Collin, who did a fantastic job at developing an incredibly well-rounded horse, trained him to Advanced/PSG level. I really don’t think I could’ve found a better match. He is kind, patient and has this incredible willingness to try and work hard.

What did you take into consideration when looking for your next horse? I think the most important thing to take into consideration when buying a horse for any level is to find one with an incredible willingness to work – trainability. I really wanted something with a good work ethic, which moved incredibly well and definitely a horse that was kind. I’ve been very picky, but it had to be the right one, and I indeed found the perfect horse.

In under 12 months you have formed a super partnership. What have been the highlights? Definitely Sydney CPEDI 2019, a mere three weeks into our partnership, Super Kip and I managed to take out the Grade IV Championship. At the Victorian Dressage Festival we scored an incredible 75.6% in the Freestyle, which was just a dream come true. A little while later, we were named on Victorian High Performance Squad, and just recently, National High Performance Green Squad.

Congratulations on being shortlisted for the Tokyo Paralympics. What would competing at Tokyo mean to you? It’s such a massive achievement for the entire team, as everyone involved has put in so much time and effort into getting Kip and myself where we are today. I think it would just be the cherry on top of what has been an incredible experience. From the training, the campaign, learning about high performance horse management… the entire journey has been rewarding, despite all the ups and downs that come with equestrian sports! It would just be nice to feel that all of this hard work has paid off and that we made it.

What are your plans for the next few months while you — and the other shortlisted riders — wait for the team to be selected? Our next two selection events are in March and May, so it’ll just be working towards those, keeping fit, healthy and trying to develop as much as we can in that time. There’s also a lot of organising and planning to be done!

Share a day in your life. There’s not really a standard day, I suppose, but generally I ride, or have a lesson with Glenda in the first part of the day. If I have time, I like to stay around Wyronga Park and watch Faye ride and train her horses, as I think there’s always something to learn by watching others. I try to get to the gym every day during the week to do some general cardio and strength training, as well as working through the exercises set out by my fabulous physiotherapist, Fiona Winchester. I’ve always found that the stronger and fitter I am off horse, the better the symptoms from my MS impact my riding.

What influenced your decision to get back to studying? I’m not too sure; I think since my diagnosis, I’ve taken some time to come to terms with everything. However I’m at the point now where I won’t let it stop me from trying to do anything I want to do, and so I decided to try to return to studying. I had always been interested in getting into a vet degree after Year 12, so I thought why not give it a go.

What do you like to do outside of horses? I really enjoy cooking and gardening in my spare time. My golden retriever, Beau, also takes up a fair bit of my time. He’s my assistance dog, so there’s a lot of training involved in that. And finally, I love art, mainly drawing and watercolour painting. Just a couple of things!

You’re an inspiration to many but who inspires you? This is a tricky question, because it’s hard to narrow it down. Being involved in Para Sport, you meet so many people who have fought through adversity and their own struggles, and I really find each and every one of them to be an inspiration.
My coach, Glenda Hinchliffe, is another big one for me. She’s been through setback after setback with horses and her own injuries, but never allows it to slow her down. She has created such an incredible facility at Wyronga Park, and I just find her drive and passion for the sport to be inspiring.
Julia Battams, who foundered the Equine Pathways Program, is another inspiration to me. Her tireless work has brought so much joy to so many people who have had their lives impacted by some form of disability or adversity. You need only to attend a Pathways Clinic to see the passion that Julia has for not only the sport, but for each individual there.

If you could give advice to an 18-year-old Zoë, what would you say? Keep going, no matter what. It’s worth the struggle.

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