from the Standardbred Retirement Foundation

Millstone Township, NJ — Susan Evanchick of Kearny, N.J., is the Standardbred Retirement Foundation’s raffle winner of the 2015 Elitlopp trip.

Hoping her husband can join her on the trip, Susan shared that she never thought she would win and tossed the ticket stubs after she wrote the check for them.

“This is the first adopter to win the trip, our past winners all had direct associations with harness racing,” said Judy Bokman, SRF’s Director,

Susan adopted Mercury MS, aka Missy, ten years ago. The now 24-year-old daughter of No Nukes, who went through two prior adoptions with SRF, one home from 1997-2001, another from 2001-2004, is a western pleasure horse for Susan.

“She is such a sweetheart, so good natured that we used her to assist with riders with disabilities for a while. When my kids were little they would sit on my mare’s back and hold the reins thinking they had control while I would walk around the paddock with Missy following me like a puppy.”

The lucky mare has a Standardbred stablemate, 21-year-old Got My Attention, another horse adopted through SRF.

The Evanchicks will enjoy a fabulous five day trip to Sweden, visiting famous breeding farms, a yearling auction, sightseeing, authentic dining at an old world restaurant dating back to the 1700s, and the great race at Solvalla.

SRF is a 26-year-old organization, unique in its work, as it never relinquishes ownership of its horses. The Elitlopp raffle, as well as the raffle for a trip to the Prix d’Amerique, help fund the care of 205 trotters and pacers of which 130 are retired with SRF due to age or injuries.

SRF thanks Marc and Marcia Goldberg of Arch Madness fame for their generous gift of sponsorship of the trip from the SRF’s Twelve Days of Giving campaign in December 2014.

“We can only give these horses a chance when special people like the Goldbergs and our supporters of this fund raiser make it possible with their kindness; we so appreciate this wonderful support,” added Paula Campbell, SRF’s President.