About Zoe Vorenas
Zoe Vorenas is a dressage rider from Melbourne, Victoria, whose lifelong passion for horses began at the age of three. Coming from a non-horsey family, she spent her childhood riding borrowed ponies at equestrian centres across the Yarra Valley. Many of her early years were spent showjumping, playing games, and competing in local gymkhanas, all while endlessly begging her parents for a horse of her own.
At eleven, Zoe discovered dressage - drawn to the precision, harmony, and discipline of the sport, and perhaps finding an outlet for her perfectionist streak. Three years later, her dream came true when she finally owned her first horse, Moodanz (“Moo”), a quirky chestnut warmblood Zoe affectionately described as Clifford the Big Red Dog. Together, they stepped into the world of EA competitions, interschool events, and dressage training. Under the guidance of her coaches, Zoe took Moo from Preliminary through to Prix St. Georges level, all while balancing school, part-time work, and life with her single father.
Her resilience saw her rise through the sport, not only overcoming immense challenges but achieving what many thought impossible. Today, Zoe is a member of the Australian National High Performance Squad, the Victorian High Performance Squad, and a VIS Scholarship Athlete. She runs Zoe Vorenas Dressage Pty Ltd, a boutique business dedicated to coaching, training, and campaigning horses and riders to the highest level.
Zoe’s career highlights include:
Australian Team Athlete – Hartpury (2015)
Long-Listed for Rio Paralympics (2016) and WEG (2018)
National Grade IV Reserve Champion (2017 & 2018)
Top 3 Dressage Horse of the Year – Little Brave (2018)
Top 3 Para Rider of the Year (2018, 2019, 2024)
Sydney CPEDI Grade IV Champion (2019)
FEI World Ranking: 5th in Grade IV (2019)
Shortlisted for Tokyo Paralympics (2020)
Bronze, Silver & Gold Performance Medals (2020, 2024)
National Grade IV Champion (2022)
Shortlisted for Herning WEG (2022)
Honorary Lifetime Membership – Equestrian Victoria (2024)
One of the only athletes to qualify two horses for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, selected as the Reserve Athlete for Paris.
From borrowed ponies in the Yarra Valley to riding at FEI level with two horses qualified for the Paralympic Games, Zoe’s story is one of resilience, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. She continues to inspire riders and horse owners alike, proving that with passion and perseverance, no challenge is insurmountable.
In 2014, at just 17 and in her final year of VCE, Zoe’s life changed dramatically. What began as sudden illness and vertigo escalated to hospitalisation, paralysis, and weeks in a neurology ward. Initially diagnosed with ADEM, a rare neurological disease, Zoe suffered repeated relapses before doctors confirmed an aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis. Despite facing right-sided numbness, muscle weakness, tremors, vertigo, migraines, and the loss of her ability to walk, Zoe refused to let the diagnosis define her. With determination and the support of family and friends, she began rehabilitation, fundraising for MS research, and above all, returning to the saddle.
Zoe Vorenas Dressage was born from both experience and generosity. Zoe began coaching at riding schools at just 14, before gradually building her own client base and recognising a gap in the opportunities available to everyday riders. Early in her career, she was given the privilege of riding a Grand Prix schoolmaster - an act of generosity that left a lasting impression and completely transformed her riding. That moment planted the seed for ZVD: to create a place where riders of all levels could access beautifully educated horses, feel movements they might never otherwise experience, and benefit from the same gift Zoe once received. What began as lessons for a handful of riders has grown into a boutique training program, built on the belief that sharing knowledge and horses at this level can change the way people ride - and the way they see themselves.