Bridgehampton, NY—September 4, 2005—Legendary show jumping rider Joe Fargis of Southampton, NY thrilled a crowd of 12,000 with an electrifying dash to the finish line to win the $100,000 Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix by 13 one-hundredths of a second to close the 30th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show.

Fargis, 57, was the last of eight riders in the jump-off and he rode Edgar 12, owned by Mary B. Schwab and OEJI Farm, to a fault-free ride in 41.69 seconds. That narrowly beat the 41.82 seconds turned in on the previous ride by his 1984 and 1988 Olympic teammate, Anne Kursinski of Frenchtown, NJ on Roxanna 112. Third place went to Candice King of Wellington, FL, who had led for most of the jump-off after riding Tarco to a clean ride in 42.02 seconds.

“I have a great horse who really was extra great today,” said Fargis, who won individual and team Gold Medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, of his 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding. “I just pointed him in the right direction and he did the rest.”

“I thought my time might be good enough but I knew who was still behind me,” Kursinski said referring to Fargis who also won this Grand Prix in 1991 on Mill Pearl. “I think I held up a little too much at some of the turns, but my horse did magnificently and I am very happy. Joe has been an inspiration to me and the other riders for a long time.”

Of the 30 starters in the class, the eight in the jump-off got there by riding fault-free over the 17-effort first-round course designed by Conrad Homfeld. They then returned one by one for their turn over the seven-jump tiebreaker course and it all built to the dramatic finish with one of the sport’s most respected riders taking top honors in a week replete with history at the Hampton Classic.

“It’s always great to win but I suppose it does mean a little more in this 30th anniversary year where our executive directors (Tony Hitchcock and Jean Lindgren) are retiring,” Fargis said. “I guess it was a good ending to a great week!”

In addition to the $30,000 first-place prize money, Fargis also received a gold and silver David Yurman belt buckle and a jeroboam of Louis Roederer Champagne. Fargis also finished as the horse show’s leading open jumper rider aided by two wins earlier in the week including a win in the $30,000 Sotheby’s International Realty World Cup qualifier which set the field for the Grand Prix. Fargis, who also won the horse show’s Antares Style of Riding Award, is the first rider in Hampton Classic history to win both the qualifier and the Grand Prix in the same year.

Competition highlights from the Hampton Classic, which benefits Southampton Hospital, can be seen online at www.wvvh.tv.

For full results and other information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show, please visit the Hampton Classic website at www.hamptonclassic.com.