Story highlights Rebel Rover swims 11km in two hours

Rescued by Brisbane Water Police

Trainer impressed with horse's endurance

(CNN) You could say he's a horse making a big splash in the equestrian world.

Rebel Rover certainly lived up to his name recently when he unseated his jockey before heading off for an 11-kilometer (6.8-mile) swim off Brisbane's Sandgate beach.

The Australian racehorse's ocean adventure sparked a frantic 90-minute rescue mission as the local water police and volunteers tried to save the five-year-old gelding as it paddled into deeper waters.

On the 25th February 2016, VMR Brisbane was tasked by the Brisbane Water Police to help bring to shore a local racehorse... Posted by VMR Brisbane Inc on Friday, 26 February 2016

"It's not normal at all," Rebel Rover's trainer Brad Smith told CNN of the incident. "We use swimming as part of most horses routine training program however this is in a controlled environment, in a pool and for no more than 5-10 minutes. It was a very unusual quite a frightening occurrence.

Once the rescue boat had helped Rebel Rover back into shallow waters, he was reunited with his jockey Jackson Morris and ridden out of the water.

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