ASHLAND — The Ashland County Fair’s Backseat Driver Contest took the same skills as a healthy marriage– trust and communication. 

Five brave couples signed up for Saturday’s competition, which required one partner to put on a blindfold and get behind the wheel of a golf cart and navigate through a course of cones while the other partner gave directions. The goal was to finish the course in the fastest time, without hitting any cones. For each cone they struck, a couple had five seconds added to their time. 

Before the race began, contestant Tristan Carpenter admitted that she’s a horrible navigator.

“But I also, according to him, don’t take direction well,” she said. 

“That’s why she’s not driving,” said Tristan’s husband, Jacob. 

Asked whether Tristan tends to be a backseat driver, Jacob answered in the affirmative. 

“She tells me to slow down,” he said. 

“Sometimes he needs an extra pair of eyes,” she responded. 

The Carpenters ended up placing second in the contest, hitting just one cone and finishing the course in one minute and 51 seconds.

In first place were Sam and Jamie Dawley, who hit two cones but completed the course in just one minute and 39 seconds. 

Sam said it was harder than he expected to listen to directions and attempt to drive through the course at the same time. 

“He did pretty well,” Jamie said. 

Each of the top three finshers won a free alignment and tire rotation from Smetz’s Tire and Service Center, but perhaps the best reward for the Dawleys was bragging rights.

The couple finished ahead of Jamie’s brother and his wife, Justin and Carrie Blair, as well as Jamie and Justin’s parents, Paul and Becky Blair. 

Before the race, Paul had predicted Justin and Carrie would be the victors.

“They say they communicate better than anyone else,” he said of his son adn daughter-in-law.

Though Paul never expected to win, he went in with a solid strategy. 

“Drive fast, and when she screams, stop,” he said. 

One of the couples taking part in the competition was Katie Silverthorn and Joe Rothlisberger, who are engaged to wed next year. 

The couple heard about the contest over the fair’s loud speaker and decided at the last minute to sign up. 

“We wanted to get in a fight,” Silverthorn said jokingly. 

The course wasn’t kind to Silverthorn said Rothlisberger. She accused him of mixing up left and right.

“That was horrible,” she said afterward.

But Rothlisberger said he had fun, and both partners said the marriage is still on.