Riding her own horse Class Action, Toffolon, 16, scored 90 points in the first round and 89 points in the second round. “I took a lot of deep breaths to stay calm before I rode the second round,” she said.
The competition’s purpose is to prepare young riders to compete in the jumper ring, so it’s held in the Hampton Classic’s expansive Grand Prix Ring. Some 51 riders started the first round, with 15 returning in the second round in inverse order of standing.
Toffolon credited trainer Andre Dignelli, of Heritage Farm, with preparing her for this unique class. “I think it’s really an honor to win this class, since my trainer’s students have won it so many times before. It was a great opportunity to represent him here,” said Toffolon.
She said that Class Action, whom she’s owned for two years, was another reason for her success. “He really likes courses like this. We were seventh in the [$50,000 USHJA International] Hunter Derby on Sunday,” Toffolon said.
The time allowed for riders to complete the second-round course was a tight 75 seconds, and most of the riders (including Toffolon and Colvin) finished 1 to 5 seconds slow. The judges deducted 1 point from riders’ scores for every second they exceeded the optimum time. “I think they wanted to make it hard; they wanted us to take chances, to see what mistakes having to ride faster would cause,” said Toffolon.
Toffolon’s parents own a summer home in Bridgehampton, so she’s been riding in the Hampton Classic since she was 6, when she rode in the leadline class. At age 10, she won the grand pony hunter championship. “This is my favorite show,” she said.
The 37th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show runs through Sunday, Sept. 2, 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 highlight of the Hampton Classic is the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix and FEI World Cup™ Qualifier on Sunday, September 2. The Grand Prix, open to horses that successfully complete Friday's $50,000 Spy Coast Farm/Young Horse Show Series Grand Prix Qualifier, features Olympians, World Champions and other show jumping veterans such as defending champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward. This year, the Grand Prix is part of the new 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. Ward won the Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon on Antares F in May and now stands to win the $200,000 bonus should he ride Antares F to wins in the remaining two events in the Taylor Harris Triple Crown Challenge.
For those who can’t make it to the show grounds, WVVH-TV, the official Long Island television station of the Hampton Classic, broadcasts up to five hours of competition and highlights each day during the Classic. These broadcasts can also be seen on line at www.wvvh.tv.
All classes held in the Grand Prix Ring will also be available live throughout the horse show on webcasts provided by ShowNet. Access to this pay-per-view stream may be found on the Hampton Classic website at www.HamptonClassic.com, or via ShowNet membership at www.ShowNet.biz. In addition, most of the Classic’s jumper and hunter classes from all other rings will also be available, many live, through ShowNet at www.ShowNet.biz.
USEF Network.com, Presented by SmartPak, will offer a free live webcast of the Classic’s featured event, the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix and FEI World Cup™ Qualifier on Sunday, September 2 starting at 2:00 p.m. EDT. This free live webcasts is available at www.USEFNetwork.com.
Further information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show is available at the Hampton Classic website at www.HamptonClassic.com or by calling 631-537-3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.