The 30th annual Hampton Classic got off to a roaring start with the Manhattan Mortgage Company's Opening Day festivities on Sunday, August 28.

Competition got underway in the morning with leadline competitions where nearly 100 youngsters under the age of 7 and their ponies filled the Grand Prix ring with pint-sized excitement for several hours. Joe Fargis, who would thrill the crowd with his Grand Prix win the following Sunday, judged the leadline, undoubtedly a thrill for all the parents if not all of the youngsters in the saddle.

Kelly Klein

The Classic “officially” opened at noon, with the “Classic Kids” leading the World of the Horse parade featuring the Arrieta Friesians of Manorville, NY. The parade also included rescued horses from Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue in Sagaponack, NY.

As part of the ceremonies, the Hampton Classic honored four Long Island based grooms for their outstanding contributions to the caring of horses. Honored were Eliseo del Angel Hernandez who works for Martin Dean at Martin Dean Stables in Southampton; Juan Armadillo Villalpando who works for Federico Sztyrle at Wolffer Estate Stable in Sagaponack; Eugenio R. Morastitla who works for Jagger and Mandy Topping at Swan Creek Farms in Bridgehampton; and Gilberto Dominquez who works for Alex Talmage at Two Trees in Bridgehampton.

Also highlighting the ceremonies was a dressage demonstration by Katherine Bateson, a trainer at Robert Dover's Romance Farm in Bridgehampton. Dover, a six-time Olympic dressage rider, took to the ring himself on the Classic’s closing day, giving a special dressage exhibition in the Grand Prix ring just before the start of the $100,000 Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix.

Additionally, Hampton Classic exhibitors and spectators stepped up to assist with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Some exhibitors donated their prize money to the relief effort and the Classic set up a special booth for the American Red Cross to accept donations. These two efforts collected more than $32,000 to assist hurricane relief.

As always, an amazing line-up of celebrities and stars were on hand to watch and be part of the Classic. Well-known personalities on hand during the week included Calvin and Kelly Klein, David Yurman, James Lipton, Bruce Springsteen, Christie Brinkley, Alec Baldwin, Peter Boyle, Katie Couric, Kelly Ripa, Lou Dobbs, Deborah Cox, and Ahmad Rashad. Ending a week that celebrated 30 years of Hampton Classic history and the careers of retiring executive directors Tony Hitchcock and Jean Lindgren, Joe Fargis, a rider who holds his own place in show jumping history, put an exclamation point on this year’s horse show with a ride that all who were there will talk about for many years to come.

Fargis, the three-time Olympic medalist from Southampton, NY and Middleburg, VA, thrilled a crowd of 12,000 with an electrifying dash to the finish line to win the week’s main event, the $100,000 Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix, by 13 one-hundredths of a second.

Joe Fargis won the $100,000 Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix aboard Edgar 12, owned by Mary B. Schwab and OEJI Farm.

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.

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.

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.

Nikko Ritter won the $25,000 Calvin Klein Show Jumping Derby aboard Qroqant Z.

Brianne Goutal of New York, NY and Onira, who won the qualifier for the Final, took third in the class with a clear round and a time of 42.878. Goutal had the additional distinction of receiving the prestigious Shalanno Farms Junior Jumper Style of Riding Award.

Addison Phillips gave everyone a scare on the first of her two horses that she qualified for the jump-off. Going into the final fence, they left out a stride and fell. Phillips dusted herself off and then amazed the crowd with a courageous ride on her other horse, Flight, finishing fault-free in a time of 42.598 for second place.

Danielle Torano of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, took top honors in the $15,000 WGHR Farm Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic going clean on Lojana in a time of 40.173 seconds.

Jessica Speiser of Wellington, FL proved the best of the elite equitation riders at the Classic as she won the two-round Calvin Klein Equitation Championship.

The original field of 40 Juniors and Young Riders comprised riders who had qualified for the championship through top placings in 2004 equitation finals, 2005 USEF Talent Search classes or the USEF Medal class at this year’s Hampton Classic. On Thursday, they each rode over Conrad Homfeld’s 13-jump course that included one double combination, one triple and the Hampton Classic’s famed water jump.

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