Horses and riders from around the world have made their way to the East End of Long Island to compete in the annual Hampton Classic Horse Show, one of the largest jumping competitions in the country. Opening day was Sunday.
Marty Bauman, chief press officer for the Hampton Classic, says, “On Grand Prix Sunday here – our pinnacle event – every inch of the chalets is filled with people. All the table areas are filled and the bleachers are filled. So I’ve had riders say to me, ‘Marty when we ride into the ring for the Hampton Classic Grand Prix it’s like riding into a major stadium, like Yankee Stadium, ‘cause you have thousands of people in every direction.”
Amanda Horn is an adult amateur rider. She introduced her horse: “This is my horse, Prada. She’s been such a great girl today. This is her first time at a big show, and I’m super excited for her that she’s gonna do bigger and better things. I am an adult amateur rider, which means I am not a professional. I don’t get paid to do this; I just do this for my own fun.”
Amateur and professional jumpers will be riding through next Monday.
Disclosure: Hampton Classic is a corporate supporter to WSHU.