The Excellent Equestrians Of The Hampton Classic
The Hampton Classic Horse Show isn't about celebrity sightings, high street shopping, or prestigious titles. It's about bringing "horse people" together in one beautiful location to celebrate their love of equestrian sports.
This year's line-up includes riders as young as two, the top ten riders in the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities, and eight riders fresh from the Paris Olympics!
Olympic Equestrians, A-List Celebrities, And Even Toddlers
The Hampton Classic Horse Show is a beloved Long Island tradition. It features over 200 equestrian sports competitions, with athletes including Olympic medalists, national champion hunter competitors, as well as children and adult amateurs. The Hampton Classic also features the ever-popular Adoption Day, where rescued cats, dogs, and horses can find their “forever homes.”
Other attractions include over 80 onsite shops, international food options, and a kids’ area full of activities.
On Sunday, August 25, the 49th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show kicked off in Bridgehampton, New York. Opening Sunday- starting strong with an incredible performance by the Hampton Classic’s youngest athletes. The Leadline Division consists of 83 rides in age groups of 2 to 4 and 5 to 7. This year’s judge is three-time Olympic Gold medalist and Show Jumping Hall of Famer Joe Fargis.
Fargis took time to interact one-on-one with each Leadline competitor, emphasizing the importance of building connections and having fun, even in a competitive setting. Fargis said “The kids love [the Hampton Classic], the parents love it, and it’s a nice part of the whole show that’s low-keyed. It’s just wonderful. This is what sports are about competing and having a good time, not taking it too seriously. All these kids and parents are great sports."
The winner of the Leadline 2 to 4 years section was Esmeralda Sanampudi, riding her horse named CMS Brother Bear. The Leadline 5 to 7 years section was won by Hailey Romeo and her horse Oopsie Daisy.
The Hampton Classic also includes competitions for riders with disabilities. The top 10 riders in the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities (LIHSSRD) compete at the championship competition, hosted by the Hampton Classic.
Camp Horseability Inc. created the LIHSSRD in 2005 to “provide competition opportunities…for riders with disabilities.” The LIHSSRD series includes three divisions: the assisted Leader/Sidewalker division, the beginner independent Spotter Division, and the Advanced Independent Division. “Any adult or junior rider with a documented disability” can compete in these divisions. The LIHSSRD series consists of 4-6 local competitions (per division). At the end of the season, the top ten riders in each division compete in the championship competition at the Hampton Classic.
The 2024 LIHSSRD Championship Competition took place on Monday, August 26. The winner of the Assisted Leader/Sidewalker Division was Charles Carnaval and his horse Vigo Massuere-Charles. The winner of the Beginner Independent Spotter Division was Ellie Mahoney and her horse Barley There-Ellie. The winner of the Advanced Independent Division was Jayla Douglas and her horse My Type of Bay. All three of these winners were first-time competitors!
This year’s Hampton Classic line-up includes eight riders who have just returned from the Paris Olympics! Three-time Olympian Daniel Bluman will defend the title he won at last year's Hampton Classic Grand Prix with his Paris Olympic mount Ladriano Z. He has also entered with Gemma W., whom he won in 2021.
McLain Ward, six-time Olympian, and seven-time Hampton Classic Grand Prix record winner will also be competing in this year’s Hampton Classic. He will be joined by Kent Farrington, who was on the silver-medal-winning Team USA with Ward during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Farrington won the Hampton Classic Grand Prix title in 2012 and 2013, and he hopes to reclaim that title this year.
Another competitor who just returned from the Paris Olympics who will is four-time Canadian Olympian Mario Deslauriers. His daughter Lucy Deslauriers, who placed second to him when he won the Hampton Classic Grand Prix in 2019, will also be competing.
Other fresh-from-Paris Olympians who will be competing in the Hampton Classic include Shane Sweetnam and Darragh Kenny of Ireland, Thaisa Erwin of Australia (who just made her Olympic debut), and Nayel Nassar of Egypt.
Athletes from previous years’ Olympic Games will also be competing in this year’s Hampton Classic. These Olympic veterans include three-time Swiss Olympian Beat Mändli, two-time Chilean Olympian Samuel Parot, and Israeli Olympian Alberto Michan.
The Hampton Classic Horse Show is truly worthy of being called a “Classic.” It brings together athletes of all ages, levels, and backgrounds and gives them a fun, inclusive environment to compete and share their love of riding. Some people might think of the Hampton Classic as “pompous and bougie”, with its “high-end shopping boutiques” and “Hampton's celebrity sightings."
The Hampton Classic is about so much more than shopping, celebrities, and even titles. At its core, the Hampton Classic is about creating a space where “horse people” can come together and celebrate their love of equestrian sports.
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