Jeffrey AronsonThe 2025 Rebelle Rally crossed over 1,550 miles of Nevada and California and enticed 50 teams to celebrate its 10th year of competition. It remains the sole female-only off-road navigation rally in North America.
Results:
- Liza Beres, Jenna Fribley – 2022 Defender 90 L663 – 11th
- Karen Hoehn, Dana Saxten – 2013 LR4 – 33rd
- Pam Wright, Dana Benyo – 1993 Defender 110 – 37th
- Stephanie Kowall, Avis Cook – 2024 Defender 110 L633 – 45th
- Marie Reyes, Jenn Lee – 2001 Discovery II – 48th
- Laura Henson, Holly Cloud – 2022 Defender 90 – 49th
- Laura Stacey, Sydnee Ewers – 2000 Discovery II – 59th
Team She’ll Be Right Rally – Pam Wright, San Jose, CA and Dana Benyo, Los Gatos, CA, switched roles driving and navigating, once they chose to run Dana’s ’93 NAS Defender 110 in the Rally. Dana told me, “My husband, Richard Baker, and I bought it in October, 2024, after we saw it on a ranch in California with only 45,000 miles on it. We spent the year refurbishing it, but not with the Rally in mind. I first discussed the possibility with my teammate, and then with Richard – which turned out to be an easy sell.”
“At tech inspection, a crimped brake line threatened to fail us but for the hard work of Ralf Sarek, attending the event in support of Team Overland Her. The factory manual from Rovers North was well-received by Nick Cimmarusti and his tech team. The Defender ran flawlessly. I learned that the Defender eats up rock climbing but hates soft sand. I’ll be back with it in the 2026 Rebelle.”
Team Overland Her – Liza Beres and Jenna Fribley, detailed their preparation for the Rebelle for our Fall 2025 issue, so we also connected with some of the other Land Rover teams for the current issue.
Team Hoehn Adventures – Karen Hoehn and Dana Saxten, Del Mar and Encinitas, CA, respectively, have shared a friendship for over 30 years, 10 of them competing in each of the Rebelles since it began in 2016.
As Karen noted in an interview, “I don’t think we ever thought about the number. After the first one, we remained hooked until year 8. That was a very hard one, as Emily Miller threw in ‘twists;’ for example, after 9 hours on the trails, she suddenly gave you a blank map with new additional checkpoints.
Dana remembered that event and agreed: “After year 8, we thought we might be done. Maybe we don’t have the bandwidth to keep up with young girls. We then determined that we would make it to the tenth. We had said good-bye to the labors of the Glammis Sand Dunes and the vastness of Johnson Pass. We had nothing to prove in year 9, and we felt this past year was really comfortable for us.”
Karen remembered that “our daughters, Jo Hanna and Sarah, entered the competition also in Land Rovers, and we found that energizing for us. It’s fun when you have family members in the Rally. My son thinks we’re nuts, and sort of tolerates our participation. But in our 60s, waking up at 5:00 am in freezing cold temperatures, searching our checkpoints for hours, and trying to get back for sunset — that takes a toll.”
“This past year, we were going really fast over dunes to try and return to the base camp, but we got really stuck. It’s the only time we had to be rescued. So our official position is that we’re not running again next year. In a ceremonial moment, we actually threw our tent into a dumpster. I hope we can hold to our official position; we’ll see how we feel next October.”
Team B3 Rebelles – Marie Reyes, Harbor City, CA, believed Rebelle founder Emily Miller when she said, “This Rally is designed for the vehicle you have in your driveway.” In Marie’s driveway sat a “dead” ’01 Discovery II that she named “Bernard.” She resurrected it and now has 168,000 miles on it — much of it off-road. Marie recounts, “Amidst all the shiny factory entries, Bernard always looks like we off-roaded just to get to the off-road event!” The 2025 Rebelle saw Marie pair up with Roller Derby team member Jenn Lee, Long Beach, CA, who enjoyed competing in her second Rebelle Rally as a navigator.
Team Thrill of the Chase – Stephanie Kowall, Marina del Rey, CA, serves as a Regional
Performance Manager for JLR. She competed in her second Rebelle Rally last October, and we asked her to share her impressions.
“My journey to the Rebelle began in 2020. I followed along over the years, and as I became a more competent off-road driver, the desire to throw my hat in the ring only grew. In 2023, I was asked to help gather extra kit for the Defender 130 of Liza Beres and Jenna Fribley. It felt great to help them from the sidelines; I also felt stoked to see them in action in a Defender, as there weren’t many other Land Rover entries that year. They had an incredible experience, one I did not want to miss!
“JLR agreed to let me use one of our Defender 110s to compete in 2024. In 2025, I teamed up with three-time Rebelle Avis Cook (St. George, UT) as my navigator partner. Our amazing sponsors, Chase, Land Rover Las Vegas, and AutoNation helped us get to the start line. And ‘Kendra the Defenda’ was once again our third teammate.”
“As any Rebelle will tell you, just getting to the start line is an incredible feat. You must train throughout the year, raise funds, acquire the proper equipment, and pack/organize the vehicle just to name a few tasks. As a JLR employee, rally prep has also meant getting to know every nook, every cranny, and every feature the Defender has to offer. In most cases this helped me utilize said features to their best abilities (off-road modes, air suspension, winch, etc.). This same knowledge helped me to make sure I properly disabled some features (hello, navigation and maps) and helped me prove during tech inspection that I had really turned them off.”
“Putting so many hard miles on a Defender has honestly made my job more enjoyable in many ways. Even after a tough day, I can still say I’ve experienced some of the best work perks ever. Aside from the experience of the Rebelle itself, which deserves a book of its own, I spent a day at the Land Rover Experience Center in Carmel, CA, last April for a Women’s Owners’ Day. Being in a position to work with the LRE instructors, including Camel Trophy legend Daphne Greene, to help other female drivers gain off-road skills and confidence is something that I will always remember. My navigator and I spoke on a panel at the 2024 Destination Defender in Malibu. I felt an indescribable pride when I overheard a dad tell his daughter, ‘You could do that when you grow up,’ after hearing our team’s story.”
“In a small way, our competing in the Rebelle made me, and teammates Stacy and Avis, a part of Land Rover’s history. And if there’s an award for the most (fun) mileage put on a company car, I expect my plaque to arrive at any moment.”