Bridgehampton, NY - Horses stabled on Long Island had their day in the spotlight on Sunday, August 25, the first day of the Hampton Classic Horse Show, competing in the five local hunter divisions. They competed in the grass-covered Anne Aspinall Hunter Ring or in Hunter Ring 2.
Savannah, ridden by Ashley Raynes and owned by Patricia Raynes, was the day's biggest star, earning the Grand Local Hunter Championship after winning the Local Junior Hunter Championship by jumping to first place in one over-fences class and the second place in the other. Windchime, ridden by Hannah Benhamo, was reserve champion in the Local Junior Hunter Division, in which 31 horses showed.
Worthy, owned and ridden by Taylor Sassa, claimed The Chronicle of the Horse Local Hunter Championship, for non-professional riders. Arriana Boardman rode Red Carpet to the reserve championship.
A total of 46 horses competed in the two Professional Local Hunter sections, with Saratoga, owned by Patricia Raynes and ridden by Hayley Barnhill, winning section A, and Marvelous, owned by Mary Kate Olsen and ridden by James Anderson, winning section B.
Scarlett James earned the championship in the popular leadline division for ages 5 to7, and Cady Ryan took the division for ages 2 to 4. Joe Fargis, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist, judged all the leadline classes.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo toured the green and sun-drenched showgrounds with show president Dennis Suskind during Local Day at the Hampton Classic.
The 38th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show runs through Sunday, September 1, and features world-class show jumping competition, as well as magnificent shopping and a variety of entertainment attractions. The Classic features six show rings with more than 100 classes of competition for horses and riders of all ages. A wide range of jumper, hunter, equitation, short stirrup and leadline classes are all part of the Classic's schedule, as well as competitions for riders with disabilities.
The Classic features an FEI-recognized Grand Prix on three consecutive days - the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm/Young Horse Show Series Grand Prix Qualifier Presented by Longines on Friday, the $40,000 Longines Cup on Saturday, and the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix and FEI World Cup™ Qualifier on Sunday. The world-class field of riders will also be looking to win the new Longines Rider Challenge that awards $30,000 to the rider who accumulates the most points in the horse show's Open Jumper division.
The FTI Grand Prix is part of the Taylor Harris Triple Crown Challenge which awards a $200,000 bonus should the same horse-and-rider combination win the $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon, $250,000 FTI Grand Prix at the Hampton Classic, and $250,000 Alltech Grand Prix at the Alltech National Horse Show. McLain Ward won the Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon on Rothchild in May and now stands to win the $200,000 bonus should he ride Rothchild to wins in the remaining two events in the Taylor Harris Triple Crown Challenge.