The Standardbred Retirement Foundation has announced the raffle winner who will be heading overseas later this year to attend the 2015 Elitlopp.

On Tuesday, the SRF announced that Susan Evanchick of Kearny, New Jersey is the raffle winner for what looks like quite an exciting trip.

Susan, who said that she is hoping that her husband can join her, also said that she never thought she would win and tossed the tickets stubs after she wrote the cheque for them.

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

Susan adopted Mercury MS, aka ‘Missy,’ 10 years ago. The now-24-year-old daughter of No Nukes went through two prior adoptions with SRF, one home from 1997-2001, and another from 2001-2004. She is now a western pleasure horse for Susan.

"She (Missy) is such a sweetheart, so good-natured that we used her to assist with riders with disabilities for a while,” Susan said. “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, 23-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.

The 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.

The SRF would like to thank 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 fundraiser make it possible with their kindness; we so appreciate this wonderful support," Paula Campbell, SRF's president, added.

(With files from the SRF)