The Hampton Classic Horse Show Trots Out Equine Excellence

About 50,000 equestrians and fans are galloping to Bridgehampton for the 49th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show in which more than $1 million in prizes will be awarded August 25–September 1.

The world-class International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) show jumping and United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Premier hunter competitions — including more than 200 contests in six show rings on the 60-acre showgrounds — is the most well-attended annual event of the summer in the Hamptons. While the celebrity sightings, 70 vendors, extensive menu of dining options and Agneta Currey Boutique Garden are also a draw, new this year also features an expanded Monday schedule, a new $50,000 Kristen Baran Hunt Team Stake making its debut at the event on August 29 and more.

“We are so excited to add this new hunter team competition to our schedule,” said Shanette Barth Cohen, the show’s executive director. “We look forward to hosting the new $50,000 Kristen Baran Hunt Team Stake not only for our exhibitors, but also as another way to continue supporting some wonderful charity partners. We hope everyone will enjoy this great new addition to our Thursday schedule.”

The class will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Aspinall Ring over one round with jumps set at 3 foot 3 inches high over a hunt-and-go style course with teams consisting of three horses, one to be ridden by a professional rider and two to be ridden by either a junior or amateur. The two non-professional riders will complete their rounds first, with their scores each accounting for 25% of their team’s final score, with the professional’s completion of the course accounting for half of the score, according to the organizers.

Show Jumping Hall of Famer Steve Stephens, a former Hampton Classic manager and 2008 Olympic course designer, was named guest course designer for this class, which is the first hunt team competition ever held at the Hampton Classic. The stakes will benefit local charities such as Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, the Center for Therapeutic Riding on the East End and the EQUUS Foundation. The addition to the lineup was the brainchild of equestrian advocate Kristen Baran and Andrew Lustig, a lifelong equestrian and former judge at the Hampton Classic, who saw it as an opportunity to introduce a novel, charitable event in hopes of strengthening the hunter industry.

“All of the charities hold a dear place in my heart and I am truly thrilled to support them,” said Baran. “It is my goal to contribute to the sport I love and raise awareness about these wonderful organizations in the equestrian community and to foster meaningful relationships that will benefit everyone.”

As for the expanded Monday schedule, the program will include various hunter and jumper classes taking place in all rings except the Grand Prix Ring for the first time. The schedule coincides with the Classic’s much-anticipated Monday features such as the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities (LIHSSRD) Finals presented by Dime Bank and Animal Adoption Day sponsored by Georgina Bloomberg. Monday’s new schedule — in which admission is free — also includes Children’s and Adult Amateur hunters, Macrae Skye Short Stirrup, and the Mane ’n Tail Junior/Amateur Jumper 1.0m in Jumper Ring 2 following the conclusion of the LIHSSRD Finals.

During the Classic’s annual Adoption Day, which runs from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, the Classic’s Kids Area will host several animal rescue groups and the Grand Prix Ring will feature adoptable horses presented by the EQUUS Foundation from 1:30-3:00 p.m. — a program that has been expanded to include a new educational presentation by Mary Elena Moran, New York State Mounted Officer and Horse Trainer, who will discuss how to transition horses from one career to the next so they never become at risk. Bloomberg will emcee the adoptable horses program with Jill Rappaport, a renowned animal advocate, award-winning author and media personality, as well as EQUUS Foundation VP Valerie Angeli, EQUUS Foundation EQUUStar Serena Marron and Brianne Goutal-Marteau, an EQUUS Foundation EQUUStar and top equestrian.

Family friendly fun to be had includes HEART Equine Ambulance tours, bouncy horse races, horseless show jumping, cornhole and the EQUUS Foundation Rider’s Closet Donation Trunk that will accept donations of new and gently used riding apparel for equestrians in need.

As for the main event, Swiss watch brand Longines returned as official partner of the Hampton Classic Horse Show, official timekeeper and title partner of the Longines Hampton Classic Grand Prix and of the $30,000 Longines Rider Challenge. Longines also sponsors the Classic’s culminating event, which features a $400,000 purse. The brand has been involved with the Classic for more than a decade and has long been affiliated with the horse world.

“We are thrilled to continue our more than 10-year partnership with Longines and are proud that we were Longines’ first show jumping partnership in the United States,” said Cohen. “We greatly appreciate their incredible support over the years which includes providing accurate timing for our world-class competitions which often come down to just a few hundredths of a second. With them at our side, we look forward to more great events for many years to come.”

The event’s official 2024 poster, “10,” featuring artwork by Mark Badgley of Palm Beach, Florida, adorns the cover if this week’s issue of Dan’s Papers in a nod to highly sought-after souvenir for those coming to watch the nation’s best equestrian athletes compete at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. A full schedule of events follows on the next page.

Visit hamptonclassic.com for more info on the Hampton Classic Horse Show.