United States Eventing Association

USEA Horse of the Month: Eluca

Congratulations to Eluca, the February 2019 USEA Horse of the Month! Owned by Deirdre Stoker Vailancourt, Eluca is a 10-year-old KWPN gelding sired by Negro and out of Fabiola. On January 12, Eluca and Vailancourt finished with the lowest score of the first competition weekend of 2019. Finishing on their dressage score of a 23.6 in the Beginner Novice Rider division at the Stable View Aiken Opener Horse Trials made them one of the first winners of 2019!

About Eluca:

• Barn Name: Luca
• Favorite Treat: All treats but specifically mandarin oranges.
• Introvert or Extrovert personality: Extrovert.
• Favorite phase in eventing: Cross-country.
• Extracurricular Activities (outside of eventing): Fox hunting, low adult jumpers, and trail riding.
• Stats: 11 USEA starts with 6 top-two finishes and 4 wins.
• Future Goals: Hoping to win Beginner Novice at the 2019 USEA AEC in Lexington, Kentucky.
• What his mom says about him: “He has beautiful gaits lots of chrome and willingness to try most things I ask of him - making him easy to love and spoil! My trainers, Darrell and Melissa Vaughn at Vaughn Equestrian, imported him from Belgium in 2015 as an adult friendly dressage prospect. They encouraged me to buy him and with their tremendous help we have become consistently successful at several things. He also fox hunts, does low adult jumpers, and loves trail rides. Next, we will try hunter derbies. He is the quintessential Aiken horse!”

About the USEA Horse of the Month

New in 2019, the USEA is recognizing an event horse each month on the USEA website and social media. The USEA Horse of the Month is determined based on statistics and event results and announced at the beginning of every month. The February Horse of the Month was selected based on the lowest score at the first event of 2019. Eluca, the 10-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Deirdre Stoker Valiancourt, finished on a score of 23.6 in the Beginner Novice Rider division at Stable View Aiken Opener Horse Trials, earning him the title of USEA Horse of the Month in February 2019!