Bridgehampton, NY — After communicating with the National Weather Service and the Town of Southampton's head of emergency management monitoring Hurricane Irene, the Hampton Classic has announced that activities scheduled for its Opening Day on Sunday, August 28 will not be taking place.

The Classic plans to re-schedule most competitions scheduled for Opening Day for other times later in the week. A revised time schedule will be posted on the Hampton Classic website (www.hamptonclassic.com) as soon as it becomes available.

“It appears likely that we will be hit by the storm so postponing Sunday’s activities is the only safe thing to do,” said Shanette Barth Cohen, Executive Director of the Hampton Classic. “However, at this point, it is still possible that the storm may hit with tropical storm, rather than hurricane, force winds. Therefore we are not yet making the decision to take down our tents and stalls nor postpone any of Monday’s schedule. We will remain in constant contact with the appropriate experts and make those decisions as they become necessary.”

For now, the Classic still plans to hold its Monday events – ASPCA Adoption Day and the Finals of the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities. The Classic’s boutiques will be open that day as well. Horses competing in the Hampton Classic will be allowed to enter the grounds beginning Monday, but not before.

The 36th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show is scheduled to run through Sunday, September 4. The Classic asks all interested parties to watch the Hampton Classic website (www.hamptonclassic.com) for updates and a revised schedule. Updates will also be posted on the Hampton Classic's Facebook page.