Cassie Sanger and Redfield Fyre. Photo by Sally Spickard.
At just 20 years old, Cassie Sanger is our youngest competitor in the CCI5* lineup for the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event. 2025 has marked a big year for the young rider. Not only is she contesting her first CCI5* at the Kentucky Three Day Event this April, she also recently moved to her parent’s farm in Ocala, FL, over the winter and will be changing from amateur to professional status.
One thing has remained constant for Cassie– her partnership with Redfield Fyre (Canabis Z x Tiona, by Guidam), who she purchased when she was 15. “We had a pretty big year for him last year, in the sense that he really stepped up to the Advanced level,” she said. “This is truly his second full season at the level, but he was just amazing last year. He did his first CCI4* at Kentucky last year, followed by Bicton, then Bramham.”
Also new for 2025, is “Yogi’s” status as a team horse. Together, Cassie and Yogi were selected to join the Boekelo team last year. “We went to Boekelo this past fall and he was incredible,” Cassie said. “I had the best cross country round I’ve ever had on him there.”
Cassie purchased Yogi from Carolina Pamukcu five years ago with big goals and dreams for the 12-year-old KWPN gelding. “We’ve always hoped for this moment for him. Now that it’s come, it’s been really exciting,” she said. “He and I have really grown up together, because I was riding every day when I first got him. I wasn’t even in school for the first year I got him because of COVID. So we’ve really had our time together, which is a nice feeling going into our first five star.”
Cassie came close to attempting her first five star last year, with Fernhill Zorro. Unfortunately, Zorro sustained an injury less than a month out from the Maryland Five Star, taking them out of the running. Zorro is just now coming back into work. Having been through this process once before only to be sidelined at the last minute, Cassie isn’t counting her chickens before they hatch.
“I feel good because we know that much more and we’re more on top of things now, not that we weren’t before, but you take it up that whole next level. You’re always learning,” she said.
Cassie Sanger and Redfield Fyre compete at Boekelo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
After competing in the CCI4* at Carolina International, Cassie says Yogi is feeling excellent heading into Kentucky. “It’s good practice, but he’s feeling great through his body, and he’s jumping very well and then cross country, he was super,” Cassie said. “He gave me a really, really good feeling, especially how big and technical that track was. He’s feeling in good form.”
“He can go inwards on himself,” she continued. “He definitely takes in all of his surroundings and will internalize them. I just have to do my job to really keep him with me in an atmosphere like that at Carolina, which will be ten times bigger at Kentucky.”
Cassie says it’s even more meaningful that her first five star will take place at the Kentucky Horse Park, instead of at the Maryland Five Star as she had originally planned. “When I was really little, Kentucky was the first big event I had ever heard about. I would always dream about riding in the five star at Kentucky.”
Atmosphere can be hugely impactful for Yogi’s focus and concentration. The Kentucky Horse Park is arguably the most atmospheric venue in the United States, particularly in the Rolex Stadium. However, Cassie feels Yogi actually really enjoys competing at the Horse Park.
“I’ve taken him to Kentucky twice before in the past, once for the American Eventing Championships, and then last year in the CCI4*-S,” she said. “He absolutely loves the venue. It’s hard because I’m a little superstitious, but I have a good feeling about it all for him.”
Naturally competitive, Cassie is trying to take a different perspective on this event. “I’m trying to really focus on doing my best for this event,” she said. “I’m very competitive, and I’m so hard on myself, and will put so much pressure on myself, but at the same time, I think that’s when I also do my best. Everything I’ve done has been for this moment, especially with this horse. When I first got him when I was 15, I always believed he could be my five star horse. Whenever I get a little wound up or nervous, I just remember that he’s going for a reason and that we’ve been together for a while.”
Cassie Sanger and Redfield Fyre. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.
Yogi has had his fair share of doubters along the way to their first five star. Cassie also struggled as she was developing Yogi up the levels, while still learning herself. “He has been amazing since I’ve had him, and it’s been a wonderful journey. But that’s not to say there hasn’t been blood, sweat and tears– and that would be an understatement,” Cassie said. “As I’ve gotten more on the scene of team competitions as well, I’ve had to think about that aspect. Two or two and a half years ago, there were definitely a lot of points where we weren’t sure if we would continue with this horse. There were just a lot of question marks around him.”
“It was hard because he was just slower to develop, really, is the honest answer,” she continued. “I wasn’t a professional, and so I was developing him as I was learning too. It was a big learning curve. I remember my coach said to me one time, ‘This horse is never going to be a team horse.’ So for him to have come out last year and make the Boekelo Team was such an exciting moment for him. It’s all turned around in the last year.”
An additional roadblock along the way to the Kentucky Three Day Event was Cassie’s second life as a full-time student at the University of Richmond. Moving to her parent’s farm in Ocala and going to school has left her a little more independent than she usually is. Luckily, Leslie Law has been available to help her.
“I would say, the biggest bumps along the road that have come up while getting prepared have just been scheduling, figuring out galloping, and all that. I’m also a full-time student at the University of Richmond, so I work with Leslie very closely to plan out my gallops and how all of that’s going to go,” Cassie said. “The beginning of this winter was when I really did go out on my own, because that’s when my family got a farm in Ocala. I still work with Leslie nearly weekly, and we’re always calling or meeting about plans. So that’s been awesome, and I go over there for lessons whenever I can.”
“I’m managing it on my own compared to last fall, where I was in more of a program,” she continued. “I had my previous coach, Caitlin Silliman, helping me with that more. So this year has been much more independent. I’ve really learned so much since being more independent, particularly about fitness. We’ve actually started swimming Yogi before this event, in addition to galloping and aqua treading.”
At the end of the day, Cassie’s approach to Kentucky has focused on education above all else. Education for herself, for her horse, and for the future.
Photo by Abby Powell.
“I feel like I’ve been someone that learns so much from big opportunities like this,” she said. “I suck in all the information I can. I’m just excited to be around an event like this and learn what it’s like to be on this different stage.”
Completing the Kentucky Three Day Event would cement Yogi and Cassie’s place as an Advanced pair and open doors for their future together. “I keep on learning a ton, which is honestly a really fun part of it,” Cassie said. “It’s been a lot, but it’s exciting. I feel like I’m starting a new chapter and a new phase of my career.”
EN’s coverage of Defender Kentucky is supported by Kentucky Performance Products. To learn more about Kentucky Performance Products’ science-backed nutritional support products, click here.
