OCALA, FL (352today.com) – It’s been an opportunity to see the world. For Ocala resident Kerri Rochon, the sport of combined driving has been a passport to places she never imagined. A former draft horse enthusiast, Rochon transitioned to combined driving, competing this past weekend at the Florida Whips Iron Horse CDE at the Florida Horse Park.
“I thought, hell, that looks fun, I could do that,” said Rochon. “I started in Colorado, but it wasn’t very big there. I came here to work for Thorsten [Zarembowicz]. I worked for him for two years, and I started helping different drivers at different shows and got flown all over the world to groom and navigate.”
Rochon has since collaborated with some of the sport’s top competitors, including Leslie Brendl, a seven-time representative of the United States at the Federation Equestre Internationale Driving World Championships for Single Horse. Most recently, Rochon assisted Brendl at the 2024 World Championships in September.
Before discovering combined driving, Rochon had never traveled outside the United States. The sport has since taken her across the globe.
“I went to France twice this year, and last year, I met another fellow driver from Holland,” she said. “She invited me over last summer, and I spent 2 ½ months there.”
Combined driving comprises three phases: dressage, marathon, and cones. For Rochon, the marathon phase is the most thrilling.
“I love the marathon. It’s fast, the adrenaline rush—it’s a lot of fun,” said Rochon, who has competed as both a driver and navigator.
One of her proudest moments came with her horse Twist, a 4-year-old Dutch Harness Cross she’s been training for over a year. Competing at the training level, Twist impressed with a dressage score of 44 and a double-clear performance in cones.
“I was thrilled with him today,” Rochon said. “I like bringing horses along slow and steady and not rushing through anything.”
At the training level, Rochon emphasized the value of exposure and experience for young horses.
“We get to trot around and enjoy it [the marathon phase],” she said. “What’s nice at the training level is they don’t time the hazards like they do at higher levels, so you can take your time, take bigger routes. They just need to see the world.”
Through combined driving, both Rochon and her horses have embraced the opportunity to explore the world—one stride at a time.