2003 Hampton Classic Kicks Off With Manhattan Mortgage
Companys Opening Day, Presented by Distinction Magazine
$20,000
David Yurman Time Challenge and Unveiling of Stephan Weiss's Final
Work Highlight Grand Opening
Bridgehampton,
NYAugust 24, 2003The 28th annual Hampton Classic Horse
Show opened in spectacular style with Manhattan Mortgage Companys
Opening Day, presented by Distinction Magazine, at the horse show
grounds in Bridgehampton, New York on Sunday, August 24. Long Islands
traditional end-of-summer equestrian and social event, the Classic
continues through Sunday, August 31, when it culminates with the
$150,000 Prudential Financial Grand Prix.
The
Classics Manhattan Mortgage Companys Opening Day, presented
by Distinction Magazine, featured a new open jumper speed class,
the $20,000 David Yurman Time Challenge, as well as equestrian vaulting
and canine demonstrations, and the traditional horses and hounds
of the Smithtown Hunt. The day also included the unveiling of Dressage
Horse, the final work by the late sculptor Stephan Weiss.
Honoring
David Yurmans 10 years of generous sponsorship of the Hampton
Classic Horse Show, the inaugural $20,000 David Yurman Time Challenge
was held, marking the first time the Classic has held a show jumping
competition in its Grand Prix Ring on Opening Day.
As
always, the Grand Prix Ring also played host to the champions of
tomorrow by staging Leadline classes for riders up to the age of
seven, judged by three-time Olympic medalist Joe Fargis. Sophie
Michaels of Ronkonkoma, NY, and her pony, Pokemon, were named the
Grand Champions of the four-year-old and younger division while
Casey De Palma of Wading River, NY, won the five to seven-year-old
Grand Champion title riding Mah Jong.
Dogs
also played a major role on Opening Day. Following the David Yurman
Time Challenge, the Grand Prix Ring hosted Adequan®s Little
Classic, a dog agility exhibition with dogs from the East End Kennel.
K-9s in Flight also thrilled the crowd with its team
of top-notch Frisbee dogs who performed high-flying, canine acrobatic
tricks. The exciting interactive show included training tips and
education on the importance of pet exercise, nutrition, and animal
adoption. All the dogs in the K-9s in Flight troupe
have been rescued or adopted from animal shelters across the country.
K-9s in Flight have been featured in Ringling Brothers
and Barnum & Bailey Circus as well as on several major television
networks, including Animal Planet, the Disney Channel, ESPN, and
MTV.
Among
the days other activities were exhibitions and demonstrations
by Vaulting World Championship veteran Yanina Alvarez of Argentina.
Alvarez, Argentinas National Champion of Artistic Gymnastics,
will continue giving performances throughout the week.
Donna
Karan, wife of the late sculptor Stephan Weiss, and Weisss
family chose the Hampton Classic as the site for the first installation
of Dressage Horse, Weisss last work. Ms. Karan
and other members of Weisss family including his children
Lisa Weiss Keyes, Gabrielle Karan Defelice and Corey Weiss unveiled
the large-scale bronze horse.
Each
year the Hampton Classic Horse Show attracts more than 50,000 spectators
and celebrities to watch the countrys best horses and riders
compete. With the nations best show jumping riders attending
the show and a star-studded audience cheering them on, the Hampton
Classic is a weeklong sports and entertainment spectacle.
There
simply is no other competition that brings together the thrill and
prestige of the hunter-jumper horse show circuit with so many thousands
of spectators, extravagant social events and celebrities, all surrounded
by the beaches and elegant villages of Long Islands summer
playground The Hamptons.
Six
show rings, plus vendors, restaurants, and the childrens area
are operating throughout the week. Admission is $5 per person or
$15 per carload, with children under 6 admitted free. Reserved grandstand
seating for Grand Prix Sunday, August 31, is $15 per person (in
addition to $5/person or $15/carload admission) or $25 per person
in the special Premium Seating center sections. Parking is free
throughout the show week.
www.hamptonclassic.com
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