“No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.” – attributed to Winston Churchill

This is surely a statement with which Pebblebrook High School senior Anna Bergstrom agrees. She is the rare Cobb Schools student-athlete who recently announced her intention to continue competing as an equestrian in a college sports program. Anna trains six days a week for three to four hours a day—sometimes before school, sometimes after, and sometimes both.

“I'm passionate about riding,” said the soon-to-be Berry College equestrian team member. “I would choose this over almost anything to do during the day. I basically spend all my time at the barn. And not because I have to, because I want to.”

“In riding a horse, we borrow freedom.” – author Helen Thompson

It’s hard to say if freedom is what 8-year-old Anna was looking for when she mounted a horse for one of her first rides, but it may have been the unleashing of a passion that would shape her life. It took another three years before Anna could convince her parents to invest in riding lessons.

“The first time we took her to a lesson,” Anna’s mom, Amy Bergstrom, recalled, “riders were jumping what I thought at the time were insanely high jumps. From that first day, Anna said it was what she wanted to do. Looking at how far she's come and realizing she is now the one leading a giant animal over those jumps, I am just so proud of her.”

“To ride a horse is to ride the sky.” – anonymous

Riding the sky is Anna’s specialty. The equestrian discipline she competes in is called hunter jumping. Those unfamiliar with the sport might equate it to a track and field hurdles race with horses.

“It comes from a hunting sport in England,” Anna explained, “and people would kind of ride around in the fields and jump over fences and logs, and now it's simplified a little bit. Now, you're in a ring, and you go over a certain set of jumps in a course, and I try to keep my position a certain way to score higher.”

That speaks to a major difference from the hurdle race in track and field. In hunter jumping, speed is not the sole factor. Scoring is just as much about movement, form, position, and style. Judges keep a keen eye on both the rider and the horse. So, having a reliable teammate is essential. For Anna, currently, that teammate is Boo.

“Boo is my competition horse right now, and he’s been great,” Anna beamed before emphasizing the challenges of working atop her mount. “Having to keep yourself and this giant animal in one mindset and also overcoming all of the big things that come with working with an animal is definitely difficult. There are a lot of physical challenges to it, but the physical doesn't matter as much if you can't keep yourself mentally in a straight mindset.”

“A horse makes you more powerful. When you are together, it doesn’t feel like there’s anything you can’t conquer.” – horse trainer Russell Dilday, from the documentary “Down the Fence”

Anna has certainly conquered a lot in the ring. The equestrian season spans the entire year, and she competes once or twice a month. Among her dozens of award ribbons, Anna earned the 2023 Reserve High Point Division Rider in her Georgia division, and in 2025 she qualified and competed at the National Horse Show for the Hamel Medal Finals, which is essentially the horse nationals in equestrian. 

Anna has conquered a lot outside of the show arena, too. Some of that has come during different kinds of shows in different kinds of arenas. Anna is part of the Technical Theatre program of the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts (CCCEPA).

“We put on about 15 performances a year,” the Pebblebrook magnet program student said. “I'm a lighting designer for our shows.”

According to CCCEPA Technical Director Travis Williams, Anna has demonstrated a distinct ability beyond the equestrian spotlight by designing illumination for performers on stage.

“Anna immediately distinguished herself as a highly motivated and mature student, lighting designer,” her instructor noted. “She is unique among her peers in her ability to take on large projects and bring them to fruition with a high degree of effectiveness. The role requires a great deal of detailed and focused labor on the part of the designer to provide effective lights that color the space, set the mood for the performance, and complement the performances without being overbearing. Anna has proven incredibly effective at this, to such a degree that she has been selected to design major productions for our school. A task generally reserved for hired professionals.”

As a junior, Anna won the CCCEPA Director’s Overall Program Rising Star Award. 

“In recognition of her outstanding accomplishments, I personally awarded Anna the CCCEPA Rising Star Award,” said CCCEPA Director Robert John Connor. “This honor is traditionally presented to a performance major, making Anna the very first technical theatre student ever to receive this distinction. Her achievement speaks volumes about the impact she made within our program and the level of excellence she consistently displayed. Anna’s ability to combine artistry with technical precision, along with her collaborative spirit and maturity, made her an invaluable part of our productions and school community. I am incredibly proud of Anna.”

This is high praise. Clearly, whether on a horse or in the theater, Anna reaches acclaim-worthy heights. Mutual respect is evident in both.

“The CCCEPA program has been amazing for Anna’s high school career,” her mom Amy declared, “allowing her a creative outlet combined with rigorous academics. We're big fans of the Cobb magnets.”

“What the colt learns in youth he continues in old age.” – French proverb

One might wonder how Anna managed to get a high school education, considering the time and effort that equestrian and theatre production require. For someone used to jumping obstacles (fences) in the ring, there’s no hurdle too daunting. It helps when a motivated student has a resource like the Cobb Virtual Academy (CVA).

“I go to school from 2:00 to 4:00 for the magnet class,” the CCCEPA student said, “and then I'm taking two AP classes online through CVA. So that gives me the opportunity to kind of work at the barn or at home and still be able to fulfill the magnet requirement.”

Mom Amy appreciates the flexibility CVA has given her daughter to balance a rigorous curriculum with an athletic pursuit that demands a significant commitment.

“This semester she has a ‘minimum morning’ schedule, which means she does not have in-person classes to start the day,” Amy explained. “So, she typically does her work for her CVA courses at home in the morning. Then she goes to school for her in-person classes. This year, she has taken AP English Literature and Composition and AP Psychology through CVA. It’s allowed her to take courses she wouldn’t have been able to due to her magnet schedule, and I think the virtual courses have helped her learn to manage her time effectively. All in all, it has been a great experience.”

“Horses lend us the wings we lack.” – author Pam Brown

Anna Bergstrom’s path has been uncommon. It has galloped through early mornings at the barn, late nights in the theater, uncompromising academics, and countless hours balancing life between spotlight and saddle. Yet through every jump, rehearsal, and challenge, she has continued moving forward with grace and determination. Now, along with ribbons and awards, she carries the confidence earned from years spent learning how to guide something powerful while becoming powerful herself.

Soon, this Pebblebrook senior, already Built for Beyond, will carry what she has learned and accomplished with her to Berry College, where the next set of jumps awaits. Based on everything she has already conquered, it would be unwise to bet against her clearing those hurdles as well.

h/t non-branded photos provided by Bergstrom family 

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