by Grace Knight
Dressage demands discipline and perfection – a graceful dance between rider and horse as they perform synchronised movements that look effortless and elegant.
It turns out those same skills come in handy at university, too.
“I think one of the greatest reasons I love dressage is the discipline and neatness of it as you have to be so particular with every movement,” says Lucy Alati, 19.
“It’s also taught me to translate that discipline and my driven attitude and to other areas of my life, particularly with my uni.”
Alati balances her pursuit of equestrian excellence with her Bachelor of Business studies at Bond University, traveling from Byron Bay for classes several times a week.
Like her horse Rubinzent, Alati is a thoroughbred, hailing from a family with a shared love for horses and all equestrian disciplines.
“My family have always been horse people, so naturally I’ve always been surrounded by them and that’s where my love began,” she said.
“I started out from pony club level right through to where I am now, competing at dressage.”
Growing up, Alati trained and competed predominately in show jumping before her love for dressage developed in her early teen years.
She has won several prestigious titles such as Dressage Queensland Junior Young Rider of the Year and Medium Young Rider of the Year, both in 2018.
In 2019 she followed up at the Sydney Concours de Dressage International by winning the CDI-J Freestyle division.
Also that year, Alati began her new partnership with Rubinzent.
Together, Alati and Rubinzent went on to win the CDI-J in the 2019 Brisbane Concours de Dressage International and were later chosen to join the Trans Tasman team at the Queensland Youth Championships.
The 2023 dressage season has recently commenced and Alati and Rubinzent travel to Gatton this weekend for the Brenda Whitman Classic.
Whilst Alati has dreams of taking her dressage to the highest international level, she remains grounded as she focuses on general improvement.
“Whilst my long-term goal would be to get to Grand Prix level dressage, my biggest goal right now is just continue training upwards,” she says.