A star-studded field descended on the Hampton Classic Horse Show’s beautiful Bridgehampton showgrounds for a week filled with world-class equestrian competition. Seventeen countries were represented in the Classic’s international division, which saw Israel’s Daniel Bluman best a field of 40 starters representing 12 countries in the show’s culminating event, the $425,000 Longines Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix.
One of the world’s most prestigious horse shows, the annual Hampton Classic features competitors at every level from young children in leadline to Olympic, World, and World Cup Champions. The Classic also has competitions for riders with disabilities. This year’s Classic was rated USEF ‘Premier-6’ for both hunters and jumpers with FEI 2* and 5* classes. Ireland’s Alan Wade served as Grand Prix Ring course designer.
The Classic attracted its usual list of celebrities throughout the week, including Jane Seymour, Billy Joel, Brooke Shields, Gayle King, Michael Bloomberg, Lorraine Bracco, Donna Karan, Kelly Klein, Bill Evans, and Jill Rappaport.
Only two horse-and-rider combinations made it to the jump-off of the $425,000 Longines Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix on Sunday, September 3 – Bluman, a two-time Olympic veteran, and the USA’s Adrienne Sternlicht, who helped the U.S. earn Team Gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games.
In the end, only Bluman finished on a double-clear score, claiming the Hampton Classic Grand Prix title for the third time – twice aboard his 2022 FEI World Championship and 2023 FEI World Cup Finals mount, Ladriano Z (2017 and 2023) and once with Gemma W (2021).
For the $425,000 Longines Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix, Alan Wade set a highly technical 1.60m track featuring 17 jumping efforts, and spectators watched with bated breath as the first 30 riders racked up faults around the ring. Sternlicht was the first to successfully complete the task aboard Starlight Farms 1 LLC’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Faquitol-S. Bluman wasn’t far behind with the 15-year-old Zangersheide gelding he co-owns with Blue Star Investments and Over The Top Stables LLC, guaranteeing the crowd a jump-off.
“Adrienne had a beautiful first round, so I just focused on what I had to do,” Bluman said. “I had to ride a very fast track around the course in case I knocked one down so I could still finish in second. Ladriano is a very special horse, and it’s been rare in his entire career that he has more than one rail down. I was very confident and very grateful for this horse today.”
Sternlicht ultimately took second for her four-fault jump-off score, while Luis Fernando Larrazabal (VEN) finished third with the fastest four-fault initial round in 79.70 seconds aboard Condara, Victoria Heurtematte’s 11-year-old Mecklenburg mare.
Other FEI highlights
The international division commenced Thursday with 83 entries representing 14 countries over Wade’s 15-effort two-phase course set at 1.40m in the $10,000 Citarella 2* Open Jumper. Aaron Vale (USA) set an early time to beat of 30.48 seconds aboard Thinkslikeahorse’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare I.Adermie R 4, and their natural footspeed proved greater than their competitors’ to clinch the win.
Rene Dittmer (GER) bested a field of 63 entries representing 15 countries in the $39,000 Flecha Azul 5* Speed Stake, riding Live Oak Plantation LLC’s 12-year-old Selle Français gelding Burlington Riverland through the timers in 31.18 seconds. The pair sliced and diced their way around Wade’s 1.45m track for the two-phase class for the fastest fault-free round.
Speed was the name of the game in Friday’s $39,000 Wölffer Estate 2* Jumper Classic, which served as the qualifying class for Sunday’s $78,000 Hampton Classic 2* Grand Prix and presented a 15-effort, 1.45m course to a field of 71 entries representing 17 countries. With faults scattered around the course, 16 entries made it through to the jump-off, where Mark Bluman (COL) claimed top honors with a time of 34.45 seconds aboard Florencio Ramirez Martinez’s 8-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding Zuperman MT.
“My horse is extremely fast,” Bluman said. “It was a big field in the jump-off, and my draw was pretty early on. I just tried to lay down a very quick round, starting with one rhythm and continuing with it all the way around, and took advantage of how fast he is. It’s an honor for us riders to compete here at the Hampton Classic. It’s a horse show we look forward to every summer.”
Americans swept the podium in Friday’s $78,000 Douglas Elliman 5* Grand Prix Qualifier, which saw only six clear rounds from a field of 45 entries representing 14 nations over Wade’s 16-effort, 1.60m course. Of the three riders who returned over the shortened jump-off track, Jimmy Torano led the way with his winning time of 41.99 seconds aboard Chewbacca HCC, an 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Isalou Inc. and Jet Equestrian Group LLC.
“With Carly (Anthony) going first and having a rail down, Brianne played it safe, which opened the door for me,” Torano said. “Going last put me in the driver’s seat. I was very quick through the first part of the course and felt like I’d done enough, then really took it easy over the last two jumps. My horse has a big scope, is very careful, and has a lot of ability. I feel great going into Sunday’s Grand Prix.”
Darragh Kenny (IRL) topped the leaderboard in Saturday’s $78,000 The Agency 5* Speed Stake. Of the nine horse-and-rider combinations to go clear from a field of 40 starters representing 14 nations, only two stayed under the 70-second barrier: Kenny and McLain Ward (USA). With just 0.41 seconds to spare, Kenny bested the field aboard Kerry Anne LLC’s 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding Eddy Blue, stopping the clock in a faultless 69.27 seconds.
Ward clinched the win on Saturday against 45 entries representing 10 nations in the $39,000 2* Open Speed Class, stopping the clock 1.2 seconds ahead of his fellow competitors with Catoki, the 14-year-old Westphalian gelding he co-owns with Bob Russell and Marilla Van Beuren. Ward’s speed specialist came to the Hampton Classic specifically for this class and won with a time of 58.67 seconds.
Kicking off Sunday’s thrilling action were 45 horse-and-rider combinations representing 14 nations in the $78,000 Hampton Classic 2* Grand Prix. Sixteen went clear with Nayel Nassar of Egypt ultimately clinching the win in 34.87 seconds aboard El Conde.
“My horse is naturally quick, and sometimes I err on the side of caution from running him too much,” Nassar said of Evergate Stables LLC’s 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood. “But today I figured I really had to; there was no other choice considering the riders in the jump-off and how big the field was. Alan made a super track. It was mainly about doing the seven strides in the lines, slaloming those two vertical jumps (Fences #2 and 3), and just leaving everything up.”
For his consistent placings throughout the week in the Open Jumper division, Kenny claimed top honors in the $30,000 Longines Rider Challenge with a total of 281 points. He brought home the $30,000 purse and a new Longines watch for his efforts. Bluman finished in second place with 260 points, and Nassar took third with 248 points.
More jumper and equitation highlights
The week’s Open Jumper competition began Sunday, August 27, with 43 entries in the $30,000 Hampton Classic 1.40m Jumper Challenge. Ireland’s Christian Coyle bested the field with In Showjumpers’ Ma Pomme De Tamerville, finishing as the fastest of 8 clear rounds in 37.975 seconds.
Six-time Brazilian Olympian Rodrigo Pessoa was on fire for Tuesday and Wednesday’s classes aboard Dhalida Diamant VD Krekebeke Z, a new mare to his Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC. The pair secured their first win in Tuesday’s $10,000 Stomp Capital Open Jumper speed class, stopping the clock in 65.002 seconds. Then they returned to top the leaderboard in Wednesday’s $10,000 UBS Open Jumper two-phase with their double-clear time of 25.691 seconds.
In Friday’s $10,000 Lugano Diamonds Junior/Amateur Welcome Stake two-phase special, pathfinder Josephine Nash of North Salem, NY, proved uncatchable aboard DP Ventures’ Luron S Z on their time of 34.507 seconds.
The Grand Prix Arena welcomed 21 equitation riders for Saturday’s $10,000 Hermès Equitation Championship, where Cody Rego of Bermuda claimed top honors with North Run’s Ironman. The duo scored a two-round total of 180 points, adding to their Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search 3* win.
“This class is a great opportunity for us younger kids to get in the Grand Prix Ring and show out there with the big guys,” Rego said. “The course was longer than a normal equitation course, so it really tested us riders to make the time. Of course, there was a bit more pressure on the second round, which was tighter on time. I tried to pick up all the time that I could around my turns, and I just felt really comfortable out there.”
Sophie Gochman of Palm Beach, FL, made her last day at the Hampton Classic a winning one, earning first and third place in the $25,000 Agneta & Brownlee Currey High Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic with SMG Sport Horse LLC’s Tage BH and Gabbie BH respectively. Tage BH posted the fastest double-clear in 33.592 seconds; Gabbie BH was not far behind with a time of 34.100 seconds.
With the win, Gochman and Tage BH earned the High Amateur Jumper Championship. Isabel Coxe of West Lake Hills, TX, and 5 Roosters’ Fuego placed second in the Jumper Classic between Gochman’s two mounts and also brought home the High Amateur Jumper Reserve Championship.
In the hunter rings
The Hampton Classic opened Sunday, August 27, with competition exclusively for the Long Island community in what is commonly known as “Local Day.” Among the week’s first winners was Brianne Goutal-Marteau (USA), who claimed victory against a field of 36 entries in the $10,000 Marders Local Hunter Derby aboard Sterling Equine LLC’s Heartland.
“Heartland is a really nice horse,” Goutal-Marteau said. “He’s only eight years old, but he really stepped up to the plate and became a real contender. We love this opening derby class around the barn. It’s a wonderful showcase for the people out here with a lot of really nice horses. The area has such a good group of hunters to have this kind of special event for.”
Many of these beautifully rhythmic hunters returned to the ring for the new $25,000 Hunter Classic Sponsored by Green River Farm on Thursday, where Nick Haness of Temecula, CA, swept the podium with his three mounts: Caristo, owned by John & Stephanie Ingram LLC; Queen Celeste, owned by Glade Run Farm LLC; and Private Practice, owned by John & Stephanie Ingram LLC.
“It was pretty exciting to ride Caristo and the others in this class,” Haness said. “It was a beautiful and fun day for a hunter classic. Riding around the ring here is always special. I think any time you have a successful ride is a good day, and to ride out with a 96 (in the first round) is super exciting.”
With the presentation of the $25,000 Hunter Classic Sponsored by Green River Farm, the third and final leg of the $5,000 Mane ’n Tail Hunter Rider Challenge concluded with Holly Orlando of Wellington, FL, coming out on top. Riders competing in the Challenge accumulated points based on their performances in various divisions at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows and the Hampton Classic.
Junior and Amateur hunters also had the chance to shine in Sunday’s $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, where Gochman came out on top after a busy morning. She and her own Colter claimed victory against a field of 43 competitors with a two-round score of 183 points.
Top hunter rider Laura Bowery of Bridgehampton, NY, brought home several championship titles during the Classic’s Opening Day competition, including the Grand Local Hunter Championship and South Fork Perpetual Trophy aboard Denise Landman’s Capote. For their outstanding performances in the Local Professional Hunter Section B, the pair also claimed the Local Working Hunter Professional Championship and the Eddie Horowitz Memorial Trophy.
Among the Classic’s youngest riders were Francesca Solaka of Los Angeles, CA, and Grace Steinbeck-Werner of New York, NY. Solaka rode Fancy Pants Equestrian LLC’s Blue Surprise to the Grand Short Stirrup Championship and Conway Cabbage Award after winning the Macrae Skye Short Stirrup 11-12 Section B. Steinbeck-Werner guided Swede Ventures LLC’s Prestige to the Grand Pony Hunter Championship after outstanding performances in the Large Pony Hunters.
The Grand Hunter Championship and High Score Junior Hunter Award went to Ariana Marnell of Las Vegas, NV, for her efforts with Marnell Sport Horses’ Babylon in the Combined Small Junior Hunter 3’6”. Paige Mattingly of Southampton, NY, and her Karla rode to top honors in the Children’s Hunter Horse 15-17 division, claiming the Grand Children’s Hunter Championship and Virginia Hunt Trophy.
Each year approximately 50,000 people – including many A-list celebrities – come to watch the nation’s best equestrian athletes compete at the Hampton Classic. Rated USEF ‘Premier-6’ for hunters and jumpers with designated FEI 2* and 5* classes, the Hampton Classic features more than 200 competitions in six spectacular show rings, the Agneta Currey Boutique Garden with more than 70 vendors, and a wide selection of dining options, all on its world-class 60-acre showgrounds.
For more information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show, please visit the Hampton Classic website at www.hamptonclassic.com or call 631-537-3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.
