Bridgehampton, NY—August 28, 2007—The first round of the East Coast Young Jumper Championships for 7 & 8 Year-Old horses highlighted Tuesday’s action at the 32nd annual Hampton Classic Horse Show with fifteen horses going clear. Scores from Round I will carry over to the final two rounds.
The 32nd Hampton Classic Horse Show, one of the nation’s premier show jumping competitions, continues through Sunday, September 2. The Classic hosts hunter/jumper competition for riders ranging from the youngest competitors in Leadline and Short Stirrup classes all the way up to the Olympic veterans in the $150,000 FTI Grand Prix.
With more than $500,000 in prize money, 50,000 spectators and 1,500 horses, the Hampton Classic is not only a sporting event of major proportions, but also one of the most noteworthy social events of the summer. The Classic’s featured event, the $150,000 FTI Grand Prix, will be held on Sunday afternoon, September 2.
The Young Jumper Championship program began in 1998 and has become very popular with the industry’s elite. Olympic veteran Margie Engle thinks the program is important for growth in the industry. Engle is riding 7-UP, owned by Jamie Schmidt, one of the 15 horses to finish Round I with no penalties.
“The Young Jumper Program has been needed for a long time,” said Engle, the only rider to win the Hampton Classic’s Grand Prix championship three years in succession (2000, 2001, 2002). “It gives us a chance to showcase our young horses and generate more interest in the industry.”
Cheryl Frank, Executive Director of the Young Jumper Program, said the program has been very well received. “To have a program like this is important because it is a great opportunity to follow a young horse throughout his career. Unlike other preliminary jumper divisions, this program segregates the horses into age groups so that they are competing against their peers. The Young Jumper Championship Series attracts horses to the Hampton Classic and other shows that may otherwise not have come.”
The second round of the Young Jumper Championships for 7 & 8 Year-Olds takes place on Friday. The top 15 then move on to the $30,000 Final Round on Sunday morning in the Grand Prix Ring.
Other Hampton Classic’s highlights in the Grand Prix Ring include the bluhammock music 1.45 meter Open Jumper on Thursday; the $50,000 GREY GOOSE® Vodka FEI World Cup™ Qualifier CSI-W on Friday; Cablevision Kid’s Day, presented by Monty Python’s SPAMALOT on Saturday which features the $25,000 Sotheby’s International Realty Challenge and the final phase of the $10,000 Wölffer Estate Equitation Championship, both which will be held in the Grand Prix ring.
Sunday is highlighted by the $25,000 Calvin Klein Show Jumping Derby, a member of event of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, and the $10,000 Hermès Hunter Classic in the morning prior to the $150,000 FTI Grand Prix.
Those unable to attend the Hampton Classic have ample opportunity to see it on television. WVVH-TV, the official Long Island television station of the Hampton Classic, is broadcasting up to five hours of competition and highlights each day during the Classic. These broadcasts can also be seen online at www.wvvh.tv.
The Classic also receives extensive coverage on WLIU 88.3 FM, a long time sponsor and the official radio station of the Hampton Classic. WLIU will broadcast updates daily throughout the Classic as well as live programs from the Classic on Saturday-Sunday, September 1-2.
For more information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show, please visit the Hampton Classic website at www.hamptonclassic.com or call (631) 537-3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501.c.3 charitable corporation.
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