by John Manzi, for the NAADA

Monticello, NY — Michelle Ruvola, one of the best female amateur drivers in the United States, will represent her country in the upcoming Ladies World Cup of Amateur Racing in mid-September in Taranto, Italy.

“Michelle has been chosen because she is an accomplished amateur on the female side and she exceeds the minimum number of wins to be eligible,” noted Joe Faraldo, president of the North American Amateur Drivers Association, which as a member of F.E.G.A.T., has the right to select competitors in European International Amateur Driving events.

Ruvola is a vice president of the Standard Company, a family-owned national supplier of sanitation and maintenance supplies and systems, and she has a great love for the Standardbred sport.

“For the past 15 years my life and passion has been driving and training harness horses,” Ruvola said. “It’s so exciting driving the equine athletes at speeds of 30 miles per hour in close quarters and in those instances where you are the winner it’s like an explosion of happiness.”

An annual competitor in the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series, Michelle is quick to thank her dad for the help of getting her involved in harness racing.

“I’m very grateful to my dad, George Bonomo, for giving me the opportunities to be involved in this exciting sport and for being a ‘friendly’ challenging competitor,” she added, referring to the times that she occasionally drives against her father in amateur races throughout the country.

A busy businesswoman, Ruvola tries to make time to race competitively, although thus far this year she’s only managed to drive six times.

“The last time I drove was on August 13 in a Billings trot at Zanesville, Ohio, and I won the race and beat my dad,” she laughed. “He finished second.”

Ruvola has been driving sporadically since 1996 with 21 being the most starts she had in any given year. And for more than half the time the amount of drives she’s had were numbered in the single digits. Still, she has managed to win 34 times, including twice in the Billings Series finales.

She and her husband Len are the proud parents of daughter Lauren (20) and son Zack (17).