Hampton Classic 2023 Preview: Fierce Competition, Fabulous Shopping & Family Fun Await

The East End summer season couldn’t possibly conclude without the much-anticipated Hampton Classic Horse Show, returning for its 48th year August 27–September 3. Touted as one of the most prestigious horse shows in the world, the Hampton Classic features competitors at every level, from amateur children and adult riders to Olympic and World Cup champions, in 200 classes spread across six show rings on the 60-acre showgrounds.

While the weeklong event features a wide variety of boutique shopping, delicious concessions and family activities, the sport remains at the heart of the festivities. The main attraction, the Hampton Classic’s FEI competition, begins on Thursday, August 31, with the $10,000 Citarella Open Jumper CSI 2-Star and $39,000 Flecha Azul 5-Star Speed Stake, continuing throughout the weekend with 2- and 5-Star classes leading up to the $78,000 Hampton Classic 2-Star Grand Prix and $425,000 Longines Hampton Classic 5-Star Grand Prix on Sunday, September 3.

The 2023 competition is looking especially fierce since last year’s event introduced all-weather footing to the Grand Prix Ring and 5-Star and 2-Star classes to the schedule, attracting a slew of experienced challengers and hungry up-and-comers.

“I think our 5-Star Grand Prix is going to be one of the best we’ve ever had,” says Shanette Barth Cohen, Hampton Classic executive director. “It’s a star-studded lineup, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that we now have great all-weather footing. Last year was our first year with that new footing, and it was also our first year as a 5-Star. I’m sure some folks wanted to wait and see how it went before they came back or joined us for the first time if they hadn’t been here before. It was such a successful year, that this year we are bursting at the seams with folks who want to ride here. We’ll have top competitors and their best horses, and I’m really excited for that.”

Competing against defending Hampton Classic Grand Prix winner Karl Cook of the USA is five-time U.S. Olympian McLain Ward, who has won the Grand Prix a record seven times. Ward’s trusty steed, HH Azur, who helped earn the rider his World Cup victory, will be officially retired as part of the Grand Prix opening ceremonies on September 3.

Ward isn’t the only former Hampton Classic Grand Prix champion hoping to reclaim his title, this year’s $425,000 prize and the global Longines FEI Jumping Ranking points that come with that. Daniel Bluman of Israel, Kent Farrington of the USA and three-time Canadian Olympian Mario Deslauriers will give everything they have to win.

If not a returning champ, perhaps this year a newcomer will claim the top prize. Competing against her Olympian father after coming in second place after him in 2019, Lucy Deslauriers has all the motivation she needs to succeed. Not yet a Hampton Classic champion but the only rider to win the World Cup Final three years in a row, Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil will be a top competitor to watch, as will two-time Canadian Olympian Tiffany Foster and three-time Swiss Olympian Beat Mändli.

For those who don’t win the Grand Prix on September 3, there’s still a chance they’ll take home the $30,000 Longines Rider Challenge Award for the rider who accumulates the most points throughout the week in the horse show’s Open Jumper competitions.

One change to the schedule that annual Hampton Classic fans will likely notice is that competitions have been more evenly distributed among the showgrounds’ six show rings, including the previously underutilized Annex Ring. Now, all rings will see some use through Friday, with all but the Annex hosting competitions on Saturday, and Sunday, September 3 narrowing attendees’ focus to the Grand Prix, Hunter 2 and Anne Aspinall Rings.

“We learned some lessons from last year’s schedule and moved things around so that the day doesn’t get too long in any one competition ring,” Cohen explains.

“Another thing I’m excited for is the new $25,000 Hunter Classic sponsored by Green River Farm,” she adds. “This is the first time we’ll have a Hunter Classic specifically for the horses that are in the professional Hunter divisions.” The competition takes place on Thursday at 8 a.m. in the Anne Aspinall Ring.

For those outside the equestrian world, the Hunter competitions are differentiated from traditional show jumping by the way they’re scored. For each show jumping round leading up to the Hampton Classic Grand Prix, horse and rider teams are scored by course completion time, but the Hunter Over Fences competitions are judged more subjectively based on rhythm, grace and technique.

To many, the shopping experience is just as integral to the Hampton Classic as the show jumping, and this year, the Agneta Currey Boutique Garden and Stable Row are filled with new and returning vendors providing luxury items, affordable souvenirs, high-end fashion and goodies for the kids and pets.

Notable brands setting up shop in the Boutique Garden include Anatomie, Callidae, Ebb and Flow, GBF Gifts, Global Girls, Hamptons Fashion Week, Human Touch, Hunt Ltd., James Paul Cheung Cashmere, Joey Wölffer, Macrae Skye, Marina St. Barth, Marders, Montauk Tackle Company, Once Again Jewels, Sage and Madison and Strong’s Marine.

When perusing Stable Row, be on the lookout for Bibi’s (Doggie) Boutique, Dubarry of Ireland, Kind Media LLC, Lisa Dahlen Designs, Voltaire Design and others.

“What I love is that we have a good variety of things for everyone — there’s stuff for children, there’s stuff for women, there’s stuff for men, there’s artwork and a variety of price points,” Cohen says. As a self-described “puzzler,” she is especially excited to check out the first-ever New York Puzzle Company shop in the Boutique Garden, as well the official Hampton Classic Souvenirs tent, which will be debuting a double-sided wooden puzzle with an aerial shot of the showgrounds on one side and a collage of Hampton Classic logos on the other.

Following suggestions from their partner Ollywear, the Hampton Classic has taken a fresh approach to the items sold in their souvenir shop. Traditional logo T-shirts, sweatshirts and caps will return, but they’ll now be joined by custom Italian leather canvas tote bags, merino wool throws, stuffed animals with the Classic logo sewn in, enamel blue ribbon pins and two new Christmas ornaments (a horse jumping and a red-and-green plaid ribbon).

As is tradition, the winner of the annual Hampton Classic poster art competition, “Seasoned Pro” by Vanessa Whittell, will be emblazoned on select merchandise in the Hampton Classic Souvenirs tent, such as water bottles, shirts and, of course, the 2023 poster.

“We’ve had a lot of pre-orders for the poster itself. When we unveiled it online, we were overwhelmed with positive feedback,” Cohen says, noting that the poster and other official merchandise can be pre-ordered at hamptonclassic.com/hampton-classic-store. “I can’t think of a year when we haven’t had at least one or two people who are like, ‘It’s not for me,’ but with this poster, that’s not the case. Everyone has universally really enjoyed it.”

The concessions at the event are receiving a similar treatment to the shops, where there’s a balanced mix of returning favorites and fresh concepts. Likely the most unexpected of the bunch, Sag Harbor’s Sen restaurant is the Classic’s answer to an outcry for healthier options. Sen’s pop-up restaurant in the Boutique Garden will serve fresh sushi and other light Japanese fare. It will be joined in the main food court area by Bacon You Crazy, G&L Concessions and Gotham Freeze.

Throughout the showgrounds, guests can also enjoy libations and bites from Cheffes Catering, Knot of This World Pretzels, Mr. Softee, Dough Daddy, Nice Buns, Pizza Luca, The Oyster Lover and other vendors.

The Kids Tent will provide fun and games for the little ones from Sunday, August 27 through Saturday, September 2, aka Kids Day. Daily highlights include a petting zoo, pony rides and cookie decorating on Sunday; dog, cat, horse and donkey adoptions on Monday; Erik’s Reptile Edventures show and Super Soccer Stars on Tuesday; the Macrae Skye Fun Zone and Chess at Three on Wednesday; circus performers and candy necklace-making on Thursday; and more petting zoo and chess fun on Friday.

Kids Day on Saturday will go all out with a DJ Marc Herstein dance party, The Art Nanny, face-painting, turtles, plus the return of circus friends and pony rides, and more.

One common misconception about the Hampton Classic is that it’s an exclusive event reserved for the wealthy Hamptons elite (and their kids), but that’s the opposite of the horse show’s intended goal. Daily admission is only $20 per carload, and the only additional cost to enjoy the sport is optional on Sunday, September 3: $60 for a grandstand seat to watch the final competition in the Grand Prix Ring.

There are even ways to skip the carload fee entirely! Admission is free on Monday when the focus is on shopping and adoptions, rather than competition. And on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, seniors and current/former military get in for free, as do people who bring three or more non-perishable food items for a local food pantry.

“It’s for everyone. … People think of it as maybe being cost-prohibitive, but it’s really not,” Cohen says. “There are fun activities in the kids area. There’s great shopping. It’s a fun way to spend a day or more on Long Island. We encourage people to come and give it a try because — and I think that this is probably the biggest message I have — when people come, they really love it and think, ‘Oh, why didn’t I come here before?’ It always surprises me when people have this right in their backyard, and it doesn’t occur to them to come and see Olympic medalists right here in-person. Even if they don’t know the sport, once you watch it in-person, you realize how athletic both the horses and the riders are to jump really big jumps when they’re going so fast.”

For more information and grandstand tickets, visit hamptonclassic.com.