Driving Derby

Cheer on ten of the top carriage driving teams in the Midwest as they compete at the Minnesota Horse Expo Driving Derby. Watch the fastest carriage horses and ponies throw dirt as they race around the cones course and hazards. Each driving team consists of a horse or two, a driver and a navigator. Athletic horses do the pulling at full throttle, drivers use their voice, lines and whip to guide the team through the fastest route and hopefully the navigator keeps the carriage balanced and upright in the tight turns as the dirt flies.

Phillip Odden age 71, grew up on a dairy farm in Northwestern Wisconsin with a forward thinking independent family pony. As an adult, still on a farm in Northwestern Wisconsin, he and his wife breed, raise and train Norwegian Fjord horses. He competes in pleasure driving shows as well as USEF sanctioned Combined Driving Events in the midwest during the summer months and in Florida during the winter. Besides carriage horses, he uses his Fjords for trail riding, hunting, packing and for light draft work.

Heike Fischer

Heike Fischer is a long-time Norwegian Fjord competitor and breeder who has been raising athletic
Fjords since 2004. Heike has shown her Fjords mostly locally at breed and schooling shows. She has a
passion for dressage and jumping but also participated at some CDEs/driving trials as well as draft horse
and obstacle competitions. At age 17 Graceful Acres Angelina is very accomplished and is a “been there
done that” type of horse that fully embodies the versatility that the Norwegian Fjord is known for.
Angelina has been evaluated with one of the highest scores in a five-state area and earned the her
“Register of Excellence” award with the NFHR.

Stephanie Hawkins

Photo by Bob Mischka

Stephanie and Victor have been competing together for about a year and a half. In 2023 they had a fun and successful show season, part of which included Utility Division Grand Champion at the 2023 Villa Louis Carriage Classic and receiving both the 2023 FHANA Region 4 Performance Driving and Driven Dressage awards. Victor is a 9-year-old Friesian gelding. Prior to competing in combined driving Stephanie showed and drove draft horses.

Jessica Reuterskiold

Photo by KayleeMaree Photography LLC

Jessica competed in the 2021 Minnesota Horse Expo driving derby with her then 23-year-old Norwegian Fjord mare, Wood's Kandi. She returns this year with her new driving partner, CCF Snohvit. Snohvit is a soon to be 6-year-old Norwegian Fjord mare. Her name translates to snow white in Norwegian. She is a white dun which is the second rarest color of Norwegian Fjord. Snohvit is new to the competition scene, and this will be her first official driving derby. She has competed the past two years at pleasure driving shows, taking home the Utility Vehicle championship at the 2022 Midwest Carriage Festival and the Utility Vehicle reserve championship at the 2022 Wade House Carriage Driving Days. In 2023, she earned the best dressage score at the Wade House Day of Driving competition. Jessica plans to kick off Snohvit's combined driving career later this Summer.

Chad Rhinehart

Photo by Myrna Rhinehart

Chad Rhinehart has competed in American Driving Society shows since 2003, winning numerous championships in both Pleasure Driving and Combined Driving Events. At the Expo, he will be driving his pair of Welsh Section C ponies, UTS X-treme Angel and her son RSR X-treme Calonnog, which were Reserve Champion Pony Pair at the 2023 Villa Louis Carriage Classic. Truly a family sport, Chad's son, Kyle, will be navigating for him on the back of the carriage. As owner of IVC Carriage with his wife, Myrna, they enjoy helping new drivers get started in the sport of carriage driving. Chad also grooms and navigates for an advanced-level carriage driver at FEI international CDEs around the country.

Luke Dahlberg

Luke Dahlberg (23) is from Solon Springs, WI. He was born into a carriage driving family, so he's had lines in his hands since before he could walk. Luke has been competing in pleasure and combined driving across the Midwest, collecting championship honors from almost every venue. In the previous MN Horse Expo Driving Derby, Luke drove the fastest pair of ponies and was second overall.

Lynn Beideck

Mr. Pepsi, a 14-year-old Welsh pony, and Lynn, have been a team for a while. They have shown all over the U.S. in pleasure shows, combined driving and derbies. Mr. Pepsi is built FOR FEED AND A BIT OF SPEED TOO! He represents the Welsh pony as they are known for their great hearts, feisty spirit and intelligence. SO GO---Go Pony Go! Little Pony BE GOOD!

Shelley Rowell

Cookie Crumb, a 20 year old Half-Arabian is being driven by Shelly Rowell. They are new as partners and this is their first derby together. Cookie Crumb has shown across the U.S. winning top honors in ridden dressage and many carriage driving championships as well. Cookie Crumb represents the very best in the Arabian breed: exceptional intelligence and intuition, heart of a lion and gentleness. Shelly is used to driving much larger equines such as her beloved Percheron, Luke. Wish these two good luck this year at the shows!

Jenny Peterson

Jenny Peterson and Joy have been driving together since 2016. Her husband Peter Berridge is her whip and navigator. As a person with a physical disability, Jenny is a Para Driver. The American Driving Society provides a dispensation for athletes with physical disabilities so that they can compete with adaptive equipment. These adaptations level the playing field with able-bodied competitors. When Jenny’s not driving Joy, she works as an Executive Coach helping others rediscover joy. She lives in Mound, Mn with her husband Pete and their three dogs, three cats and one horse.