10/22/2025
It is with great sadness that we share that Mary Sager passed away on October 19, 2025 after some ongoing health issues.
Mary was a longtime member of the Winter Glen Farm family. After spending her earlier days owning and showing horses, she continued to ride until she was in her mid-70s. Even once she made the decision to stop riding she continued to be a fixture at the barn several days a week, right up until a couple of months ago. Mary was a quiet contributor, and most of what she did could easily go unnoticed to anyone not watching closely. Somehow after she’d been at the barn, our horse’s pill boxes were always filled, the supplements were always properly labeled, the tack rooms were swept, and the bridles were always hung the correct way. The less than quiet part of Mary’s contributions involved the perfectly cut up carrots that she fed during every visit. Her four legged fan club knew her schedule well, and excitedly called for her to make her way to their stall. It’s been a whole lot quieter on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays since Mary’s last visit to the barn.
Alongside her contributions at Winter Glen, Mary also served the broader horse community. She was a lifetime member of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), a lifetime member of the Capital District Hunter Jumper Council (CDHJC) and a longtime member of their Board of Directors. In recent years she stepped in to help keep the Tri-County Riding Association (TCRA) running. Mary spent countless Sundays fulfilling the duties of horse show secretary at shows across the Capital District. If you’ve shown at Winter Glen in the last 20 or so years, you have likely interacted with Mary in some capacity - getting your number from her, paying your show fees to her, or more than likely getting scolded by her for not correctly following her process. Mary took her role very seriously, and to be honest, show secretaries everywhere have her to thank for working out the bugs in some of the newer riders and their parents. Mary’s commitment to the horses and to the sport earned her CDHJC’s Catherine Shanley Award in 2014.
Mary rarely missed a race at the Saratoga Racetrack, was an avid supporter of Proctors Theater in Schenectady, and loved the Albany River Rats when they were still in the area. She was an avid church goer, and spent countless hours volunteering with the nuns. Mary was a proud graduate of The College of Saint Rose, and was an active donor and member of their alumni organization right up until their closure. She was an exceptional baker, and everyone that knew her anxiously awaited the arrival of her Christmas cookies each year. Mary was an amazing person that accomplished so much, and bragged about so little.
Mary was loved by many special animals that I’m sure were waiting for her at the Rainbow Bridge, including her beloved dog Suzy, her cats Sara and Toga, her horses Sid and Puff, and some of her favorite lesson horses Derby, Mr. Pickles, and Preston. …and I’m sure many, many others that I never had the pleasure of knowing.
For anyone interested her published obituary, including the details about her services, it can be found here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/timesunion-albany/name/mary-sager-obituary?id=59833177
