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Hampton Classic 2026 Opening Day: David Blake Wins as Bridgehampton Tradition Returns
The Hampton Classic kicked off its 51st year Sunday with top-level competition, young riders, Shinnecock Nation traditions and a $30,000 benefit class — launching eight days of equestrian sport, style and serious horsepower in Bridgehampton.
The Hampton Classic Horse Show was officially off and running Sunday, Aug. 23, opening its 51st year in Bridgehampton with everything from pint-size riders and Olympic-level talent to a fast Irish victory in the Grand Prix Ring.
The eight-day Classic, one of the signature events of the Hamptons summer season, runs through Sunday, Aug. 30, with more than 200 competitions, FEI CSI5* and CSI2* show jumping, USEF Premier hunter competition and more than $1 million in prize money. About 50,000 spectators are expected over the course of the week.
And Opening Day wasted little time getting down to business.
David Blake Takes the $30,000 Jumper Challenge
Ireland’s David Blake and Gucci Des Embruns delivered Sunday’s biggest competitive win, taking the $30,000 1.40m Jumper Challenge benefiting the Kevin Babington Foundation.
Twenty-seven horse-and-rider combinations took on course designer Nick Granat’s opening track, with Blake and Pine Hollow Farm’s 10-year-old Selle Français gelding among just three combinations to go double clear. They stopped the clock in 45.754 seconds — nearly two seconds ahead of the competition.
“I’m delighted it was an Irish win,” Blake said. He noted that the naturally quick horse had been sent to the Hampton Classic specifically for the class and is expected to return for the CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday.
Peter Lutz finished second aboard Katriona in 47.568 seconds, while Molly Ashe Cawley and La Rosso Lady took third in 48.196 seconds.
The class also put the spotlight on a serious cause. A portion of each entry fee went directly to the Kevin Babington Foundation, generating a $4,500 donation. The foundation supports equestrian athletes who sustain spinal injuries and promotes education and safety measures designed to reduce the risk of serious riding injuries.
Brianne Goutal-Marteau Does It Again
Over in the Aspinall Hunter Ring, Brianne Goutal-Marteau made it two years in a row, winning the $10,000 Marders Local Hunter Derby for the second consecutive year.
Goutal-Marteau rode Irene Neuwirth’s Daffodil to a winning score of 89.25 points in the 34-entry field. Meghan Knapic and Bellagio Blue finished second with 87.5 points, followed by Bridgehampton’s Laura Bowery aboard Monalisa with 87 points. Monalisa also earned the Ross Reisner Memorial Trophy for Best Turned Out Horse.
The Classic Starts Small — Very Small
Before the bigger horses took center stage, some of the youngest competitors at the Classic had their turn.
Sixty-eight riders ages 2 to 7 competed in the Leadline Division presented by Katherine Kaneb, judged this year by 1996 U.S. Olympic team silver medalist and international Grand Prix rider Peter Leone.
Among the local winners was Southampton’s Adleigh Callahan aboard Oopsie-Daisy, one of four section champions in the 2-4 age group.
Leone praised the young riders for their presentation, riding position and connection with their trainers — and, most importantly, their obvious love for their horses and ponies.
A Hamptons Tradition With a Charitable Connection
Opening Day also underscored the Hampton Classic’s longtime relationship with Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, the show’s official community partner.
The hospital has been associated with the Classic since the show began in 1976 and has received more than $2 million in contributions from the Hampton Classic over the past five decades.
The connection is part of the philanthropic history behind an event better known to many spectators for world-class horses, Grand Prix competition, elaborate tables, fashion and the scene surrounding the rings.
The Hampton Classic Horse Show itself is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.
Opening Day Honors and Traditions
Sunday’s ceremonies went well beyond the competition.
Members of the Shinnecock Nation presented traditional dances and intertribal songs, with cultural educator John Boyd introducing the performers and sharing elements of the Nation’s history and cultural heritage with spectators.
Longtime trainer Holliday Polk Ryals received the 19th annual Long Island Sportsmanship Award, recognizing her decades in the Long Island equestrian community.
The inaugural Jean Lindgren Memorial Trophy was presented to Hampton Classic staff member Troy Powell for her longtime dedication and service to the show. The new annual award honors Jean Lindgren, one of the Classic’s original co-executive directors, who served for 30 years.
The Classic also honored President Dennis Suskind and Vice President Emily Aspinall, who are stepping down from their leadership roles after 35 years of service. Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine and Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker joined president-elect Lisa Deslauriers and Executive Director Shanette Barth Cohen in presenting proclamations recognizing the pair.
A Full Week Ahead at the Hampton Classic
Opening Day was only the start. The Hampton Classic continues through Sunday, Aug. 30, with a full week of hunter, jumper and equitation competition, along with shopping, family activities and some of the biggest classes of the show still ahead.
Competition highlights include Tuesday’s $10,000 Stomp Capital 1.40m Open Jumper, Wednesday’s $40,000 1.45m National Grand Prix and the start of FEI competition Thursday. Friday brings the $32,000 Wölffer Estate CSI2* Grand Prix Qualifier and $116,100 Douglas Elliman CSI5* Grand Prix Qualifier, followed Saturday by the $62,500 CSI5* Winning Round and the $10,000 Hermès Equitation Championship.
Saturday, Aug. 29, is also Kids Day, with family activities adding another dimension to a day packed with competition. Throughout the week, spectators can also shop more than 70 vendors in the Agneta Currey Boutique Garden, explore Stable Row and take in the scene that has made the Classic as much a Hamptons summer tradition as an equestrian event.
The week culminates Sunday, Aug. 30, with two of its marquee events: the $70,000 Hampton Classic CSI2* Grand Prix and the $400,000 Longines Hampton Classic CSI5* Grand Prix.
The Hampton Classic Horse Show runs through Sunday, Aug. 30, at 240 Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton
