Bridgehampton, NY—April 17, 2002—The annual Hampton Classic Horse Show, one of the nation’s premier show jumping competitions, returns to Bridgehampton, NY for its 27th year on August 25 - September 1. The Classic, which benefits the Southampton Hospital, hosts exciting hunter/jumper competition from junior levels up to the pinnacle of the sport, grand prix show jumping.

First Rate Equestrian Competition

The top riders of the sport, including Olympic medalists and World Cup winners, will compete in Friday's $25,000 Adequan Fiesta Day Grand Prix, a prelude to the grand finale of the horse show—the $150,000 Prudential Financial Grand Prix. The $25,000 Adequan Grand Prix, one of 10 classes held on the East Coast that determine which show jumpers qualify for the following April’s World Cup Final, will also determine the top thirty riders who get to compete in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

As always at the Classic, the competition will be fierce. Expected to compete are members of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Nona Garson, Margie Goldstein-Engle, Lauren Hough and Laura Kraut, as well as Olympians Norman Dello Joio (1992), Anne Kursinski (1988 and 1996), Joe Fargis (1984), Leslie Burr Howard (1984 and 1996) and Peter Leone (1996).

In addition to the prize money, the winning rider receives a watch from Rolex, the James Walsh Perpetual Trophy, a jeroboam of Champagne from Louis Roederer, and a one-of-a-kind gold and silver championship belt buckle designed by David Yurman. As an added attraction for riders, if the same horse and rider win both Friday’s Adequan Grand Prix Qualifying Class and Sunday’s Prudential Financial Grand Prix, that rider will take home a $100,000 bonus check. To date, no rider has captured the back-to-back victories needed to claim this special prize, but all eyes will be on Friday ’s winner during Sunday’s Prudential Financial Grand Prix to see if he or she can be the first to claim the Hampton Classic Bonus Challenge.

Other prestigious classes held throughout the week are the $50,000 AmeriChoice Eastern Finals of the Young Jumper Championships, the $25,000 Calvin Klein Show Jumping Derby for riders under the age of 21, the $15,000 W.G.H.R. Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic and the $25,000 Sally Hansen Grand Prix. The $25,000 Calvin Klein Show Jumping Derby is a member event of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series which determines which junior and amateur/owner riders will qualify to ride at the 2002 National Horse Show.

Exciting Activities and Entertainment

In addition to the competition taking place each day simultaneously in five rings, spectators will be treated to a variety of other exciting exhibits, including the Boutique Garden’s 36 vendor booths and three on-site public restaurants. For kids, the World of the Horse™ Exhibition Tent and Show Yard offers hands-on activities including pony rides, petting farm, Companion Dog Care and a Kids-Teaching-Kids program of pony care. For evening entertainment, spectators can take advantage of the nearby famous Hampton beaches, nightclubs, restaurants, and boutiques.

Don’t Miss Special Days

This year’s Hampton Classic will host special days starting with The Manhattan Mortgage Company’s Opening Day and The World Of The Horse™, presented by Distinction Magazine & L.I. Parents and Children. The special World of the Horse™ Opening Day ceremonies will take place in the Grand Prix Ring immediately following the Leadline Classes held for riders under the age of 8. The ceremonies feature an educational parade and demonstrations of various horse breeds.

Thursday at the Hampton Classic is Seniors Day, presented by 50 Plus Senior News, the greater New York monthly devoted to the area’s half-million senior residents. Senior Citizens will be admitted free to the Classic and can enter the Classic’s free drawings for great prizes donated by Seniors Day sponsors and many of the Classic’s other sponsors and boutique vendors.

Friday is Celebrity Cruises’ Fiesta Day, presented by Avis. Celebrity Cruises’ Fiesta Day is the Hampton Classic’s salute to its Latino participants and the growing Hispanic community on Long Island. A day filled with fabulous food and great music, Fiesta Day will include special riding demonstrations that pay tribute to the gaucho and charro traditions of South and Central America and Mexico. In addition there will be a special bilingual “Careers in the Horse Industry” booklet developed especially for Fiesta Day. All children under 12 are admitted free and there will be free pony rides for children and a variety of career day exhibits from corporate sponsors wishing to publicize their commitment to diversity in the workplace. The Hampton Classic’s second annual Special Achievement Award will be given to a Hispanic individual who has made a significant contribution to the horse industry.

Finally kids can look forward to Saturday’s CableVision Kids Day. Cablevision’s Kids Day features The National Circus Project with performers teaching kids the basics of juggling, magic and stilt walking. There are many equine exhibitions and educational projects incorporating the animals from the petting farm—llamas, alpacas and miniature horses. The Classic Kids-Teaching-Kids program features hands-on pony care. Kids under 12 are admitted free and receive a complimentary pony ride. There will be drawings for prizes. Featured classes on Saturday for junior riders under the age of 18 include the $2,500 Children's Jumper Classic and the $2,500 Pony Hunter Classic. The Grand Prix Ring main events are the $15,000 W.G.H.R. Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic and the $25,000 Sally Hansen Grand Prix.

Admission Information

Competition runs from Sunday, August 25th to Sunday, September 1st, with a break in competition on Monday August 26th. Admission is $5 per person or $15 per carload, with children under 6 admitted free. Reserved grandstand seating for Sunday, September 1st is $15 per person (in addition to $5/person or $15/carload admission). Parking throughout the show is free. For more information on the Hampton Classic be sure to visit the website at www.hamptonclassic.com or call 631-537-3177.

The United States Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization that selects, trains, equips and finances equestrians of the highest possible standard to represent our country in major international competition, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships. To accomplish this the USET seeks out and nurtures the development of talented athletes - riders, drivers and horses - and provides the support and guidance they need to help them attain their fullest potential. For more information on the USET, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.