Twenty-year-old Cassie Sanger is the youngest rider in the Defender Burghley Horse Trials field and she has been based with defending champion Ros Canter since arriving in the UK earlier in the season.The American journalism student is competing here for the first time aboard Redfield Fyre, after making their five-star debut in Kentucky in April.Ive been over here since May and I think it came at totally the right time for me, said Cassie. I was really looking for someone to bring me into their programme and just be such a supportive person and she [Ros] is exactly that. People ask me what its been like and its exceeded all my expectations so Ive ended up deciding to stay for quite a bit longer, and stay as long as shell keep me around.Online studyCassie was the 2025 recipient of the Wilton Fair Grant, which supported her travel to compete in the UK. A lot of my friends are actually all abroad in Europe, so thats fun. Ive been able to get the school to let me do online [study] instead of being at a base programme somewhere else, said Cassie. Im going to have to go home for a little bit this winter, skip out on the English winter which everyones telling me is really not a good time. Then Ill be back full time. Im committed to seeing it all through, which is a little bit crazy, but its worth it.Its intimidating being the youngestCassie hails from Wilmington in Delaware, close to US eventing stars Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin. She started riding when she was eight and began eventing aged 12.It is a bit intimidating knowing youre the youngest and probably least experienced one here, but I also think it kind of works, because that naiveness gets you through and youre just excited to do it all, she said. I was walking the course yesterday thinking to myself that now being at five-star level so young, its kind of trained me and thats all I know. All the courses look big and beautiful, but Ive gotten used to it.Its my first time to Burghley, so I havent ever seen it in person. It was really cool getting to walk up to all the iconic places, but I think its a [cross-country] course that really suits my horse and he feels ready for it, so Im excited to get out there.Ros influenceCassie added that she has been working hard on the dressage phase under Ros watchful eye.His flying changes are what they are right now. Were going to try and figure them out this winter because I think thatll push us into a different place once we get those, especially in a five-star test, when theres four of them, said Cassie. I really thought his trot work was so much better and stronger, so Im pleased with it. I went in not having a tonne of confidence. Kentucky went well but I just felt like I wasnt riding as well as I could be, continued Cassie. Ros is great on every aspect: the mental side and also the training at home, thats where I think our focus lies. Then when you go to the show, its really no different, because what youve done at home, you just try and carry it through.Its a bit easier when you get to the show, because youre not trying to push and do this and that, so shes taught me a lot about the training at home.Related contentBurghley top 10 in pictures: Piggy March leads the way with new rideProperty director and cheap ex-racehorse make their CCI5* debutA very special horse: from unbacked five-year-old with a teenage rider to five-star formMeet the Burghley first-timer on a quirky mare who dislikes large crowds and refuses flatwork lessonsThe post US journalism student based with Ros Canter is youngest rider in Burghley field appeared first on Your Horse.