Elena Starr Declares for Armenia

Dressage

Russia

German based Russian international dressage rider Elena Starr has declared for Armenia and will compete under a new flag.

Elena Starr

The 35-year old Starr is a certified architect, having studied at the Moscow Architectural Institute.

She began riding in 2011 and now owns and manages Westphalian Stables in Hörstel, Germany, which was previously owned by Hiltrud Mohrmann. She runs a breeding, sales and training operation.

She and husband Alex Lukyanchuk welcomed their first child in April 2020.

Competition Career

Starr made her international show debut at small tour level in 2017 aboard Aleksandr Lukianchuk's KWPN bred Bryan (by Rubin Royal). She also competed Avantgarde (by A La Carte x Magnum) and La Manche (by Lauries Crusador xx Weltmeyer) in Germany at national level at that time. In 2018 trainer Helen Langehanenberg took over Bryan and showed him until 2020.

Starr came into the spotlight when she bought Foreign Affair (by Rock Forever x Scandic x Cocktail) in March 2019. She competed him at international small tour level at CDI's in Hagen, Compiegne, Exloo and Cappeln. Helen Langehanenberg rode the gelding once in an Intermediaire II in February 2020, while Starr last competed him at national small tour level in September 2020.

Starr's current competition partner is Blue Bayou, a 14-year old Westfalian gelding by Biasini x Ehrentusch, which she rode in the developing Prix St Georges horse test in March at the national show in Ahaus.

Armenia

Starr spells her name as Alena on social media but is registered as Elena with the FEI. Since March 2022 she has not been allowed to compete internationally due to the international ban of Russian athletes because of the War in Ukraine. She has decided to declare for Armenia.

"Over the last year, my heart broke so many times, as I felt devastated and helpless for those in the Ukraine, whose lives have changed beyond words," she stated. "Certainly being a Russian living in Germany has been tough, as some people began to change their behavior around me and my family, solely based on where we came from. The business that I have worked so hard to build up, began to face challenges which were not of our making."

Starr continued, "with this in mind, I have decided to change my sport nationality to Armenia. Making this decision allows me to honor my family's heritage and contribute to the growth of the sport in the country."

To Eurodressage she explained, "My maternal grandfather was half-Armenian, he would be proud of the decision I made."

After giving birth to a baby (2020) and undergoing knee surgery (2021), Starr is now back on track with Foreign Affair whom she has been training to Grand Prix level herself in the past two years. "We are preparing to start Grand Prix soon. I didn't want to take him to the national shows. Because I faced so much hate during the last year, so I didn't want to compete at all." She trains with Sebastian Heinze.

Starr is now the fifth Armenian dressage rider registered with the FEI alongside Grand Prix rider Carrie Schopf (American born), Polina Mailuan (children rider, dual citizenship with Russia) and two riders who are yet to make their CDI debut (Maria Aleksanyan, Marina Balaian).