The village of Honeoye Falls in Monroe County, N.Y., has a population of less than 3,000 people. However, two of those people will be representing the U.S. in the FEI World Driving Championships in Europe this fall.

Deb Marcuccilli is set to compete in the FEI Para Driving World Championships September 4-7 in Lähden, Germany. Meanwhile, Sarah Reitz will be driving in the 2025 FEI Driving World Championship for Combined Ponies from September 17-21 in Le Pin au Haras, France. 

While they only live a few miles apart in a “tiny town that has one traffic signal, a couple of bars and a gas station,” Marcuccilli and Reitz’s journeys to the world championships were remarkably different.

Reitz began driving in the mid 1980s when she outgrew the pony she had as a child but was determined to keep him. She began with pleasure driving, then discovered that combined driving “was just way more fun.” Her pastime evolved into a career, and Reitz is now a trainer and carriage driver who breeds Welsh ponies.

“They are a really hardy breed,” she said of her beloved Welsh. “They have good brains, good feet, and good stamina, which makes them ideal for the job that we want them to do. They are a spectacular all-around nice pony that can pretty much survive anywhere and do anything you want it to do.”

In contrast, Marcuccilli is relatively new to the driving world. After losing both her legs in a school bus accident at age seven, she began riding as a child and continued to be involved with horses for most of her adult life.

“I had a family that didn't treat me differently, and I loved horses,” said Marcuccilli, who mainly competed on Quarter Horses. When her last horse died when Marcuccilli was 65, she was looking for a new challenge and discovered Reitz on Facebook.

“I saw she lived five minutes from my house, so I got in touch with Sarah and shared my story — which can be off putting to a lot of people — and told her that I wanted to learn how to drive,” she recalled. “I started taking lessons with her and the next thing I knew, I was going to horse shows. I told Sarah, ‘Wherever you want to take me, I'll go with you.’”

Marcuccilli went on to lease Fferm Gwenffrwd Duramax (“Max”), who is full brother to Reitz’s top pony Fferm Gwenffrwd Onyx Star (“Onyx”). “This is my second year competing with him, and he's pretty awesome,” she said.

“The best thing about training with Sarah is she doesn't treat me as if I'm different,” Marcuccilli said about her trainer, neighbor, and friend. “I’m not very good at meeting new people or explaining that I have a disability ... I have a comfort zone that is quite wide, but I wanted to continue to have horses in my life. She made it easy. I did not personally know anybody who was a driver, but since I’ve met Sarah, I've gotten involved with three local clubs and I've met some fabulous people. They're helpful, encouraging, and accepting.”

Reitz had known para drivers previously and always found them very fun, friendly, and approachable.

“Deb has been game for whatever I've thrown at her ... it started as doing ‘one little fun show close by’ and has since snowballed to the world stage,” she said. “It’s always great to share your sport with somebody who’s so enthusiastic and positive. We all help each other and cheer each other on.”

Marcuccilli especially enjoys combined driving, which is designed to test a driver's ability as well as the horse's obedience, speed, and athleticism, in three phases: driven dressage, marathon, and cones.

“It is so exciting, so much fun and so stressful,” she gushed. “I typically lose sleep before a marathon, but the harder the obstacles, the more I enjoy them.”

Reitz first set her sights on the Pony World Championships two years ago, which inspired Marcuccilli to start thinking about the Para Driving World Championships.

“I trained with Sarah in Florida in 2024 and 2025. I was able to compete at Spring Fling, Live Oak and Katydid CDE at Tryon, N.C.,” Marcuccilli said. “These shows qualified me to submit an entry for Para Worlds.” 

The pair were delighted to discover that they’d both been selected for their respective teams and will compete less than two weeks apart. Reitz plans to be in Germany for Marcuccilli’s marathon competition and will help her get on the podium if needed. Having never traveled to Europe before, she will also use the trip as an opportunity to meet up with her cousin in Germany and visit the grave of her uncle, who is buried in Belgium after being killed in World War II.

In the run up to the World Championships, Marcuccilli was understandably nervous about competing on an international stage. 

“I’m on a team now. I’m representing the United States, and I just want to do my best,” she said.

Reitz, however, was excited to compete against people from other countries.

“In the U.S., the sport is sort of small compared to how it is in Europe, so I think it'll be fun to see it on a bigger scale. There will be a lot more people in each class vying for ribbons,” she said.