It’s hard to find a hunter with a better record than McQueen in 2023, and he’s started 2024 off on the right foot, too.

Last year, with Nick Haness up and the Balmoral team training, the gelding earned grand championships and green conformation hunter championships at Devon (Pennsylvania), Capital Challenge (Maryland) and the Washington International (Maryland), among others. He also swept the green conformation division at the Pennsylvania National, earned a pair of Horse of the Year Channel I titles, topped the Platinum Performance USHJA 3’6”/3’9” Green Hunter Incentive Championship (Kentucky) and won the $100,000 WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular (California). For his efforts he earned the WCHR Hunter of the Year honors, the Chronicle’s Hunter Horse of the Year award, and the trainer’s choice green conformation hunter award from the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame.

Since moving to Jim Hagman’s Elvenstar Farms in Moorpark, California, at the beginning of the year, he’s now focusing on the 3’3” amateur-owner hunters with owner Lanie Walkenbach, but Haness still puts his saddle on for special occasions, and together they won the $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Spectacular (Florida) in February.

McQueen, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, is coming east again to compete with Haness in the high performance conformation division at the Devon Horse Show (Pennsylvania), held May 22-June 2, hoping to defend his grand hunter championship.

Get to know what McQueen is like when the tack comes off.

• McQueen is a Dutch Warmblood bred in Ukraine (Cornet Obolensky—Sanea, Marlon) by V. Magera. He jumped through the 1.40-meter level with Egyptian grand prix rider Mouda Zeyada in Europe before coming to the states. His original name, Krasavchik, translates to “beautiful.”

• Walkenbach gave McQueen his barn name, “Dash.”

“I wanted to play with the Lightning McQueen from the Disney movie ‘Cars,’ but ‘Lightning’ didn’t work. I asked a lot of people to try to get inspiration. One of my friends from college was like, ‘What about “Dash” from “The Incredibles.” ’ And that stuck. I thought it was still playing with the Disney theme, and it really fits him.”

• While Walkenbach purchased Dash in August of last season, she left him in Carleton and Traci Brooks’ Balmoral for the balance of the year so he could finish up his green conformation season in the same program. Since he came to Elvenstar after indoors last year, Walkenbach has been finding time between studying for her master’s in business at Pepperdine University (California) to come to the barn three days a week for lessons to get to know him.

• Dash’s No. 1 trait? Confidence.

“If he were a person, he’d be someone who knows he’s really cool. He’s like, ‘Here I am! I’m beautiful,’ ” said Walkenbach.

“He knows when he wins,” she added.

• Dash is equal opportunity when it comes to treats. “He will eat literally anything you give him,” said Walkenbach. “At indoors when he would go for his pictures, someone would be holding flowers, and he’d literally reach around and try to eat the flowers.”

• Dash gets plenty of attention from Walkenbach and the Elvenstar staff, including several therapies. He wears a Bemer blanket and gets MagnaWave treatment. At horse shows he also goes to Jett Martin Equine Spa for cold salt hydrotherapy on his legs, and at home he loves his turnout time.

• Dash’s big trot means he wears bell boots to keep him from forging when he schools. His morning preparation usually includes a short longe where he loves to play.

• Dash is a true show horse who knows the difference between a school and a competition.

“When it’s show time, he knows it,” said Elvenstar head groom Angel Torres. “He’s always ready to go.”

• According to Walkenbach, Dash’s personality has come out more and more since coming to Elvenstar.

“He’s quite the character,” she said. “He’s so goofy but so sweet. He just wants all the cuddles in the world. He’ll do anything to make you know he’s there. He’s constantly whipping his head around and giving me side hugs. He loves to sleep. Sometimes he makes a pillow with his shavings. Every time he drinks water, he sticks his tongue out. I think his personality has come out more as he’s gotten comfortable with us and our program. He definitely knows that we’re his people. It’s really cute.”