As if preparing for Mars Badminton Horse Trials isn’t enough, Cassie Sanger also had to make sure she had submitted all her university work before leaving for the Gloucestershire CCI5*.
The American rider, who is based with Ros Canter, juggles eventing in the UK with being a full-time journalism student at the University of Richmond in Virginia, USA.
“I actually just submitted all my finals on Monday night before I got here. I was really needing to get them done before I came here, I was like, I probably shouldn’t be focusing on too many things,” explained Cassie who is contesting Badminton this week with Redfield Fyre, a 13-year-old KWPN gelding.
“I have one more year left at the University of Richmond, so I’ll be a senior next year, and I’m really looking forward to getting that done.”
‘I couldn’t give up the opportunity’
“When I first came over to Ros, I got the Wilton Fair Grant, so that’s what enabled me to come over, and then I was really supposed to leave last December. Richmond does a study abroad program so last fall, or autumn, I was doing Study Abroad online, which allowed me to be over here and then I just could not give up this opportunity with Ros,” continued Cassie.
“She wanted me to stay, and I wanted to stay, and so we’ve made it work, and she’s helped me then be able to travel back and forth to school.
“My parents are my biggest supporters, and they did not make me go to junior college. It was a choice I made because you need a rounded life in this sport, Everyone knows the highs and lows are daily, you can have a great day one day and the next will be awful.
“My friends and my support crew at school just keep me grounded and give me different perspectives.”
Debutante
Cassie is making her Badminton debut this week and will be hoping to recreate the form that saw her and Redfield Fyre finish 17th at Burghley last year. The pair received a score of 37.5 for their dressage test.
“I’m thrilled with him. I’ve been working really hard with Ros and Ian and Amy Woodhead on the flat with him, and the quality of his work – in the trot and even the canter – he’s just gotten so much better and so much stronger,” said Cassie, who at 21 is the youngest competitor in the field.
Image © Tim Wilkinson.
