Two horsepower brings rush

Sitting in the chariot. Holding together two restless horses. Waiting for that gate in front of him to open up.

Bobby Bergeson knows that in any given moment, he could be flung from his chariot. He knows the dangers that lie ahead.

And he embraces those dangers like an old friend.

For the Encampment native, there are few better feelings in the world than chariot racing.

“It’s a heck of a rush,” Bergeson said. “Like people who sky dive or those kinds of things, it does something for you. It gives you that rush.”

In a racing career that spans over a decade, Bergeson first started racing after a friend introduced him to racing in an event in Dubois. Ever since that race, he has fallen in love with chariot racing and the adrenaline boost it gives him.

Bergeson knows first hand the dangers that go with racing.

“I’ve been hurt before, and it ain’t good,” he said.

During a race in Glendo, the tongue that held Bergeson’s cart broke — sending him into a barrow ditch at 45 mph.

As a result, he broke six ribs and tore his meniscus and ACL.

But the accident has not (literally) slowed him down.

He’s raced all over the state. He’s participated in races in Gillette, Rock Springs, Glendo, Dubois and Riverton. But Bergeson said that for him, there is no place like at home.

“They have a lot of money to give out. It’s home,” Bergeson said. “There is a lot of good people here. It’s a good place to have races.”

And racing at home has been good to him. He won the Norm Epler Memorial Award at the Saratoga races before. The award named after an avid chariot race is a hand blown chariot racer and horses donated by Patty Lukfin.

However, his concern is that the number of racers in the region are dwindling. With not as much competition, he is afraid that it might take away from the races that he loves.

“Long time ago, [racers] used to travel all over. There used to be a lot of teams. Now it’s kind of hit and miss.”

But it’s not all about the competition of the races for Bergeson. He is known for wearing novelty hats during the races. He said he does it to provide fun for the event.

“I have fun, I dress up and put different hats on,” he said. “People come to watch. You have to give them something to laugh and giggle about.”

Even when he is not racing, Bergeson uses his chariot to entertain audiences. He said he sometimes travels to Dubois with his chariot to dress up as Santa Claus for the kids.

“I dress up like Santa Claus and give out little toys and candy to the kids. I do it just to have fun,” Bergeson said.

Though he loves the danger, the fun and the rush that comes with chariot racing, he has one message to all the racers coming into town.

“Let’s have fun, and let nobody get hurt.”