The finals for the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities (LIHSSRD) will be held on Monday, August 28, of the Hampton Classic Horse Show. The LIHSSRD finals mark the first time in the horse show’s three-decade history that competition will be held on Monday. Admission will be free on this day when all of the shops in the Hampton Classic’s popular Boutique Garden and Stable Row will be open for business. The show series, created by HorseAbility, was founded to provide riders with disabilities the same competitive experience that other riders enjoy.

The LIHSSRD competition at the Hampton Classic will be the culmination of the organization’s five-show series, which will be held at select horse shows on Long Island during the spring and summer of 2006. Such shows include:

April 15: Thomas School of Horsemanship Horse Show (Melville)
May 14: Long Island PHA Horse Show (Yaphank)
June 11: Smithtown Hunt Horse Show (Old Westbury)
July 23: Salt River Farms Horse Show (Center Moriches)
August 8: Glen Head Horse Show (Muttontown)

Riders will compete in classes such as walk, walk/trot and walk/trot/figure-eight and be awarded points according to USEF rules for equitation classes. The top 15 competitors in each division, assisted riders and independent riders, will qualify for the finals at the Hampton Classic.

The 2006 Hampton Classic will be held from August 27-September 3, and is one of the nation’s premier show jumping competitions. This year Prudential Financial returns to host the $150,000 Prudential Financial Grand Prix, considered to be one of the sports’ most sought after titles.

Executive Director Shanette Barth is pleased to host the finals for the new series created by HorseAbility. She said, “The Hampton Classic traditionally has not had competition on the Monday of the horse show. With this new series finals, spectators will now have some exciting competition to watch in addition to the fantastic shopping we offer. And, as always, there will still be no admission charge on Monday!”

HorseAbility was founded in 1993 by Kathleen (Katie) Kilcommons McGowan when she lent her horse to a friend and physical therapist who used therapeutic riding as a method of treatment for a child with cerebral palsy. When McGowan saw the child’s physical and emotional connection with the animal and subsequent acceleration in his treatment, she knew she had found her calling. Combining her education, love of children and long-standing relationship with horses, she founded HorseAbility.

Since then, the organization has converted to a New York not-for-profit corporation and is one of only a few “premier centers” on Long Island as accredited by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. Its mission is to offer a wide range of horse-related programs to those with special needs in order to promote their physical and spiritual well-being.

Competition at the Hampton Classic runs from Sunday, August 27 through Sunday, September 3. Admission is $10 per person or $20 per carload, with children under six admitted free. Admission is free for all on Monday, seniors are free Tuesday-Thursday and kids are free on Saturday. Reserved grandstand seating for Sunday, September 3 is $15 per person (in addition to regular admission) or $25 per person in the special Premium Seating center sections. Parking is free throughout the week.


~~~