Alison Bergmann rides her way to victory
Photo submitted by Cambrie Cole
Junior Alison Bergmann, with the horse that made her the World Champion.
“She’s confident, calm and doesn’t freak out when a horse does something stupid,” senior Marit Hegstad said, as she described her friend and fellow competitor.
Junior Alison Bergmann attended last season’s World Championship Horse Show. The competition took place in Fort Worth, Texas last June. It featured riders from around the world that participated in a variety of events.
“I have countless awards but my biggest one is World Champion Hunter Under Saddle,” Alison explained.
Alison has traveled to many places for horse shows due to her passion for the sport. She has mostly traveled around Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas.
Alison’s mother Colleen Bergmann added that Texas was the most memorable award because it was the biggest prize.
Alison’s passion for riding horses started at a young age as a result of her mother training horses. Alison was never phased by the danger of riding and attributed her success to her devotion.
“Even when a animal that big does something so stupid, she doesn’t get scared. She keeps pushing,” Colleen added.
Alison did not win her first show, but she kept pushing. She pushed her horse while training and during shows to improve for their future competitions.
Colleen worked with Alison often to train her horse, “her biggest achievement was getting onto a horse that was not talented out of the gate, she pushed that horse,” she explained.
Combined with her six years of experience and help from Colleen, Alison has decided to try more challenging horses. Despite her world champion status, Alison proved that she can continue to improve her skills.
“I’ve been on the same horse for six years now… we know each other like the back of our hands, but trying something new here and there teaches you what that animal can do. I can go into shows with a different outlook,” Alison said.
Colleen has spent countless hours watching and coaching Alison. She emphasized the risk of riding horses. Alison has a small figure, but regularly deals with animals much larger than her.
“I’m happy to see her take a passion of mine and keep pushing to love the ride, but it does give me anxiety. Sometimes I have to walk away and take a deep breath to be able to keep watching,” Colleen added.
The horse shows have become more competitive as Alison has aged, but Colleen was there to support Alison, as well as to push her.
“She never gets scared when she jumps on to that horse, her only focus is winning and coming home a winner,” Colleen explained.
Alison’s next goal is to attend the World Show. Her love for the sport and for animals continues to inspire her to improve and compete at a higher level.
Alison has always wanted to go to the World Show, “the one main reason I want to go is because of the puppy aisle which seems so fun,” she said with a smile.
“I have already faced big challenges in my riding career, but no matter what challenges I have to face from here on out, I’m ready to do it,” Alison added.
I am Junior Riley Carlson, I am also a Photographer and Online Editor. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, I love being with my animals and...
Nathan Volkman • Nov 16, 2021 at 7:52 am
This article flows very well with Alison’s journey. Also, I like the use of wording like “small figure”, and “higher level”. Good work!
Sienna Xiong • Nov 10, 2021 at 4:00 am
I really liked how this article shows Bergmann’s personality. It really gave us an insight into her character that lead her to victory. This article really helped send the message of the passion and determination from Bergmann.
Hunter Reardon • Nov 8, 2021 at 10:18 pm
This story is very interesting and your writing really pulled me in. I really like the quotes, especially the ones from her mom. I love how you used your mother’s perspective. I also think the conclusion is very well done. Nice work!
Isabelle • Nov 8, 2021 at 7:51 pm
I love the intro quote it really captured my attention, I also like how you ended with a quote to tie it all back together. I also really like the graphic. The transitions are really smooth on this piece and everything just flows together.
Cambrie Cole • Nov 7, 2021 at 4:48 pm
The way you outlined your story and created a deeper meaning drew me in and got me invested. I think you did a good job at expressing Alison’s life and how her achievements greatly affected not only her but those around her.
Lauren Guinee • Nov 1, 2021 at 7:05 pm
I really liked how you chose quotes that relayed emotion to deepen the meaning of the story. I thought it was cool how you talked not only about her awards but her whole journey growing up as a horse rider, emphasizing her passion and drive. Great details and awesome story!
Nissa Wilcox • Oct 28, 2021 at 9:59 am
You did a great job of showing Alison’s and strengths and passion for riding and got a lot of helpful sources that really tie the article together, showing how much riding meant to Alison as she grew up.
Katie Kangas • Oct 25, 2021 at 10:26 am
I really like how you show the strength of Allison and what she does. It’s a dangerous sport and I appreciate how you outline that not just by stating it as a fact, but showing it through quotes. How you ended the story with showing what her future goals for her riding are really wrapped everything up. It really leaves the reader at a really nice leaving point. Great job!
Shannon Pothen • Oct 14, 2021 at 9:28 am
I like that you got the perspective of Alison’s mother. I thought that was a interesting perspective that added a lot to the story. I like that you wrote about not just her awards but talked about how she started riding. I like the the quote by her mother talking about how she has to step away when she is watching Alison. I thought that was a nice thing to add and relatable for a lot of parents when watching their kids.