LEWISBURG- It is a pastime that Jaime Rodes-Carola describes as a “lost art.” What makes it even more special, is the roots it has in local family history. If you’ve ever been in downtown Lewisburg around Christmas time in particular, you might have noticed a white hand-painted vintage carriage, pulled by one or two prestigious looking Belgian Drafts. “They are like local celebrities around here,” Rodes-Carola fondly says of her two carriage horses, Kobe and Lexi. Owned and operated by Jaime Rodes-Carola, her husband Jason Carola, and their two sons, Luke & Heath, Carola & Sons Carriage Service offers both locals and visitors to the area an intimate piece of nostalgia they can never forget.
Rodes-Carola, who is also a local schoolteacher, tells WVDN that her family’s carriage business is more than just a side-gig, but a way to carry on the family legacy. “It all started with my parents,” she says. Rodes-Carola’s mother and late father, Linda and Richie Rodes, were retired educators who took an interest in show-horses soon after leaving the workforce. “My dad was also a former athlete; he played football for WVU. Carriage and showing horses always felt like sports to him”. She gazes affectionately at one of the Belgians as she remembers her father. “Every time I look at these horses, I just see my dad, and I love it.” The Rodes family started “Rodes Farms Carriage Service” in 2001, beginning with carriage rides in downtown Lewisburg during First Fridays of the holiday season.
Rodes-Carola holds back emotion as she describes the way following in her father’s footsteps has impacted her life. “My dad asked me one day if I wanted to go in with him on purchasing a draft horse, and it would be mine. I did, and it literally rescued me. It put me on the right path with the right people”. Since she was a teenager, Carola has shown horses and helped manage the carriage business with her family.
Unfortunately, her father would battle several illnesses later in life, resulting in the eventual loss of their family farm. “I really wanted to continue doing the carriage business with my two boys, and it meant a lot to the community,” Carola said. That’s when another local family, the Reynolds, stepped in to help. Having become friends with the Rodes through breeding, selling, and showing draft horses, Marie Reyolds and her son Bobby Reynolds knew they had the perfect spot to keep the Carola family’s horses, trailers, and carriages.
Today, the Carola family’s draft horses Kobe and Lexi, their Brown Bay Juanita, and their two mules, Jack and Joe, reside on a quaint farm belonging to the Reynolds family off of Route 219 near Lewisburg. “Because of Bobby and Marie and their land,” Rodes-Carola states, “I get to continue my dad’s legacy.” Though Marie Reynolds recently passed away in March of 2026, after a grand 103 years of life, Carola smiles at how her friend’s love of horses continues to be passed down to future generations. “Marie had been to every State Fair of WV, she had seen just about all the horse shows there ever were,” Rodes-Carola told WVDN. “The last one she attended was the State Fair’s 100th anniversary.” This upcoming State Fair of WV 2026, Rodes-Carola and Marie’s son, Bobby Reynolds will serve as Ring Stewards together. In other words, things have come full circle.
Rodes-Carola and her husband Jason started their own carriage service in 2018. The name “Carola & Sons” is an obvious ode to Jamie Rodes-Carola and her two sons, but what a lot of people don’t realize is there is even more history behind the title. “My husband’s great grandfather was an Italian immigrant who had an excavating business in Ronceverte, known as Carola & Sons,” Rodes-Carola reveals. “While we aren’t roadbuilders like they were, we are the next chapter of my husband’s family story as well.”
If you ever have the pleasure of experiencing Carola & Sons Carriage Service in action, it is definitely apparent that these impressive animals are also well taken care of. “What you put into a horse is what you get out of it,” Carola says as she empties three gallons of feed into 2,000-pound Kobe’s trough. “We condition them like athletes during the off-season.” She holds up a special Drill Tec horseshoe, explaining how they are uniquely designed to protect Kobe and Lexi’s feet on the pavement. Rodes-Carola goes on to advocate for getting children involved in horses, calling it “a life-long passion they can develop.” She further mentions how her son Heath used the carriage business as an equine project in which he received 1st place in West Virginia and 3rd place at the national level. (Read more on Heath’s achievements here: Heath Carola 2025 West Virginia FFA State Proficiency Award Winner – West Virginia Daily News ). Since the family farm is also a county approved co-op, Heath actually gets paid for taking care of their animals, something he does with pride. “It is hard work,” Carola adds. “You really have to love it, to do it.”
Rodes-Carola laughs and mentions that because of her years of experience showing horses, Carola & Sons truly comes out like a show. “Hooves are painted, manes are braided, tails are bunned and tied with ribbons, they have show harnesses on, they shine, and they prance,” she illustrates. Carola & Sons Carriage Service goes six weeks through the holiday season, taking carriage horses out two or three times a week to give rides downtown. In addition to that, they do weddings and a range of other private events upon request. “We don’t cancel on you. We’re there rain or shine”, Rodes-Carola is sure to add.
If you ever find yourself riding in one of these relics, pulled by two of the most famous horses in Greenbrier County, just know that not only do you look fancy sitting up there, but you are also helping a local family carry on an important piece of local history.
