By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Emma Claire Stephens
When people tell Alicia Berger she can’t do something, her response is, “Watch me.” Encouraged by her parents to set yearly goals and work toward achieving them, Alicia has always set high goals and ambitions for herself. Whether in the saddle or in the classroom, Alicia shoots for the stars.
That mindset has shaped every long drive from her hometown of Chicago to her childhood barn in Michigan, every late-night flight from Johns Hopkins University to her current training barn in Florida, every dressage test she’s perfected and every horse she believed in when others didn’t.
“I think the most valuable lesson my equestrian experience has taught me is perseverance and aiming for goals that I thought would be unattainable. My experiences and successes have changed my life, not only with horses, but with how I approach life in general: to have incredibly high goals, work incredibly hard toward those goals and then, with that hard work and some luck, attain those goals,” Alicia said. “No matter what else I do in my life from this point forward, these experiences will have forever changed me.”
Road Warrior
Alicia’s exposure to horses began in an unlikely venue: a Chicago theatre. “My parents took me to a production of ‘The Nutcracker’ on horseback. The minute I saw the horses, I fell absolutely in love,” she said. “After the show, they offered pony rides and I told my mom I’d love to ride more.”
A fellow childhood horse girl, Alicia’s mom, Marianne, convinced her dad to let Alicia sign up for a couple of rides at a barn in Michigan. “My younger sister, Allison, would tag along with us and eventually became a horse girl too,” Alicia said. “What started as an hour and 45 minutes each way to the barn for my weekly lesson soon turned into several trips to the barn each week.”
Although it wasn’t the most convenient being a city girl with a farm-girl activity, the distance to the barn didn’t slow down Alicia’s passion for horses. If anything, it became the first test of the persistence that would define her life. Alicia’s childhood became a rhythm of school, long car rides, lessons, dinner and homework done under passing highway lights.
Alicia’s 4-H-like introduction to riding allowed her to try out Western pleasure, barrel racing, trick riding, bareback games behind the barn and a bit of dressage. The only discipline off‑limits was jumping.
“I always wanted to be a jumper, but my dad, who was kind enough to fund the whole operation, lovingly told me that I would not be jumping. He just wasn’t comfortable with me flying over fences,” Alicia said. “So, I did every other discipline under the sun besides jumping.”
Alicia loved sharing horses with Allison from the start. “One of my favorite memories was riding behind the barn without much supervision and we just got to play and try whatever we wanted. We once had this brilliant idea to ride bareback for the first time, eating breakfast on our horse at the same time,” Alicia said. “At that age, I just loved riding; I loved being on a horse, and to be eating my breakfast bareback was just the coolest thing ever.”
Although being a horse-crazy kid was fun, Alicia wanted to fuel her competitive nature. She initially wanted to do 4-H, but there were some logistical issues with living in Chicago and having horses in Michigan when it came to how 4-H typically operates. Undeterred, Alicia looked into other disciplines where she could compete.
“I wanted to do something where I could have a chance to compete in the Olympics one day. Since my dad had told me that jumping was strictly off the table, that eliminated jumping and eventing. So I thought, Let me give dressage a try,” she said.
Discovering Dressage
When Alicia competed at her first recognized dressage competition at 15 years old, it was aboard her Western pleasure horse. “He only cantered on one lead, although if I’m honest it was more of a lope than a canter. My goal for the first season was to break a 50% in the Training Level test three. I’m not sure we ever accomplished that, but we tried. The judges were very kind and would write all over my test that more impulsion was definitely required,” Alicia chuckled.
Once her parents saw her commitment to dressage and how her scores weren’t reflective of the time and energy the family was spending on the sport, they realized maybe it was time for a “real dressage horse.” “I got a Grand Prix Lusitano, Aire, who was fantastic and such a great teacher for me. I could make mistakes and Aire was super forgiving when I asked the wrong way, but the minute I got it right, he was happy to do it,” she said. “In one season, I went from Training Level to doing Third Level, Fourth Level and Prix St. Georges.”
Alicia’s perfectionist nature is what initially captivated her about dressage. “I really like things with a routine and schedule, so the fact that in dressage you’re only learning two tests rather than having a new test or course at each competition was appealing to me. It was a really cool setup that just worked for my brain,” she said.
Experiencing the harmony between her and her horse, like she’d seen years prior watching ‘The Nutcracker,’ sealed the deal that dressage had on Alicia’s heart. “I love that you can show the horse’s power and its connection to the rider in a way that is much more controlled than some of the other disciplines. Riding a good dressage test gave me a feeling I had never experienced in any other discipline I had tried,” Alicia said.
Although Alicia had designated dressage as her discipline of choice, she was still at her initial barn in Michigan spending hours commuting daily to advance in the sport. While there, Alicia got the horse who changed her trajectory.
Her first warmblood, Trust Me, caused the naysayers to tell Alicia she couldn’t make him into an FEI horse, and she should probably sell him. Trust Me didn’t just teach Alicia dressage, he taught her resilience, self‑confidence and the value of outworking doubt.
“My mom was fantastic. At the time, she was the only person who believed in me and my horse. Having her in my corner was just the most amazing experience. I think her support is what made our success possible,” Alicia said. “After a year and a half of doing dressage at a higher level, I went to my first Regionals, finals and my first North American Youth Championships (NAYC).”
Perfect Partnership
Alicia’s first step into the warmup ring at her first NAYC was an eye-opening experience. “I may have thought I was going to do great there, because there weren’t a lot of younger people doing the FEI level where I was used to competing. But I looked around the warmup ring and saw 25 to 30 riders my age, all schooling FEI movements with a level of polish I hadn’t seen back home,” she said. “It was the coolest experience. I realized not only how far I had come in a year to get there, but how much farther I still had to go.”
Not only did Alicia see what was possible at that first NAYC, she developed lifelong friendships with her riding peers. “Having a community of people your age going through the same things you are is to me what makes dressage so special. They’ve helped me to get through the tough times. Another one of my friends I met at NAYC also does college at a high level and I can call her and tell her I have three finals and have to get on a plane to show tomorrow,” Alicia explained. “She will say, ‘I did that last week; you’ll get through it too.’”
In the end of 2021, the Bergers were looking for a new horse for Allison. It just so happened the horse they purchased was from the Ebelings. “We realized that we weren’t in a program that would support a horse at the FEI level, so Amy Ebeling suggested that we leave the horse with them for the season and come down and train with Jan,” Alicia said. “I was a senior in high school and was able to do school virtual for a few weeks at a time, so even though the horse was for Allison, I went down to Florida to work with Jan, Amy and Ben Ebeling.”
What was supposed to be a few weeks of getting to know Allison’s new horse turned into a transformational trip for Alicia. Within a week, Alicia knew she’d found the right person to help her excel in the dressage arena.
“I had a conversation with my parents and told them Jan was a fantastic trainer whom I really clicked with. Looking back, I’m shocked there was ever a time that I didn’t have Jan. I don’t know how I got to where I did without him,” she said. “It truly was a happy accident that led me to develop a great partnership with him.”
While Jan has helped Alicia make it to the international stage, her favorite part of the journey with him is that they have fun along the way. “We train really hard, but he still jokes as I’m walking into the ring and we have a blast. When things don’t go as planned, he’s the one who says, ‘It is what it is. Things didn’t go the way we wanted them to; no problem, we will try again tomorrow,’” Alicia said. “When you’re working with horses, that mentality is so needed to be able to succeed long term.”
Five years later, the partnership remains the backbone of her competitive success. “He’s taken me from an OK rider at a regional level to a more successful rider at an international level,” Alicia said.
Aqua Marin
Two years ago, Alicia added Aqua Marin to her team. Although Trust Me had been an incredible partner to get her feet wet in the FEI levels, he was getting older and Alicia still had goals to reach.
At 16 hands tall, Aqua is a fantastic little superstar. “He tries so hard every day. He’s one of the smartest horses I’ve ever met,” Alicia said.
Case in point, when Alicia purchased Aqua, he essentially had no show experience and didn’t have an FEI passport. In a few months, Jan taught him the Grand Prix and within the year, Alicia and Aqua were on the European Young Rider Tour.
While in Europe in 2024, Alicia had her first opportunity to compete at CHIO Aachen. Competing there was one of those lofty goals Alicia had given herself during a family goal-setting session. “I honestly never thought I’d get there. It was so surreal to walk through the quintessential Aachen archway with the purple flowers. I just kept thinking, This isn’t real life. I think it was the most magical experience I’ve had on a horse,” she said.
Those high-pressure experiences in Europe helped Alicia prepare for the 2024 Championships in the States and finish an exceptional 2024 season. Once the duo returned home from competing in Germany at Future Champions and CHIO Aachen, they won the Young Rider National Championships team gold at NAYC.
While 2024 was magical, the 2025 NAYC far surpassed Alicia’s expectations. “I went into the week just grateful to be there at all. Moving from the Young Riders to U25 Grand Prix is a substantial jump, and at the beginning of the season I wasn’t sure we’d even make it to NAYC. When we qualified, I was excited to get another experience with Aqua at a big venue and see all my friends and compete with them,” she said.
Alicia did that—and came home with double gold, winning both the U25 Grand Prix, with a personal-best score of 67.820%, and the U25 Grand Prix Freestyle. “I was fortunate to have the right rides on the right days. I remember coming out of the arena, seeing my score and being shocked at how far we had come in a year. It was really nice to have that one moment alone before the craziness of celebrations began,” she said.
Aqua, usually calm in awards ceremonies, suddenly understood the applause was for him at the NAYC gold medal ceremony. “During the lap of honor, he puffed up like he’d won the Olympics. It was the cutest thing,” she said.
Juggling It All
Alicia is currently a senior with a double major in mechanical engineering and pre‑med at Johns Hopkins University. “That’s another thing people told me I couldn’t do. But having taken lessons learned from Trust Me, I thought, People really like to tell me things aren’t possible. I think I can do high-level school and riding, so let me see if I can do it,” she said.
Much like working with Jan, Alicia chose Johns Hopkins because she wanted to be in an environment where they really push you to think and work hard. She flies out every Thursday night to train with Jan and returns to Baltimore for Monday classes.
“If we have a competition, I’ll ride on Thursdays to prep for the show. My barn is fantastic and has my horse ready the minute I make my way from the airport to the barn. If it’s not a show weekend, I’m riding as many horses as I can Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Alicia said. “It’s a lot of time management, a lot of juggling and a great support system on both ends, both at the barn and at Johns Hopkins.”
Graduating this year, Alicia is planning to take a gap year to focus on pursuing some of her riding goals before going back either for medical school or to earn her PhD. “Ideally I’ll find something that intertwines engineering and medicine; currently I’m interested in biomechanics as well as the medical application of surgically implanted devices,” she said.
During her gap year, Alicia is hoping to make a European tour at the U25 level. “Going to Europe before was a fantastic learning experience for both me and my horses, so I’d love to do that and a higher level. Additionally, I’m hoping to bring my new horse, Posideon, up the levels,” Alicia said. “Long term I’d love to make a senior team in the future.”
One thing is for sure, whatever path Alicia decides to take, she will be one to watch. Alicia’s unshakeable persistence has always turned “you can’t” into “I did.”
Follow Alicia on Instagram @aliciadressage
Photos by Emma Claire Stephens, emmaclaire.com
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