The Hamptons

Only two entries made it to the jump-off in Sunday’s $400,000 Longines Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix, and both riders are titans of American show jumping: World #1 Kent Farrington and #12 McLain Ward.

In the end, Farrington claimed his third Hampton Classic Grand Prix title riding Greya, one of his two championship mounts from the 2026 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Fort Worth, Texas. Farrington is now one of five riders to have won the Grand Prix on three occasions, having topped the field with Voyeur in 2012 and Zafira in 2013.

Sunday’s marquee event saw 31 horse-and-rider combinations representing 10 nations compete over Nick Granat’s 17-effort, 1.60m course, which was a highly technical challenge with faults scattered around the track. Farrington and his 12-year-old Oldenburg mare were the first to go clear in the initial round, but that feat seemed nearly impossible as the entries that followed were caught by fallen rails or the tight time allowed.

As the winner of Friday’s $116,100 Douglas Elliman 5* Grand Prix Qualifier presented by Longines, Ward was the last to enter the ring. He successfully managed the course aboard Lestro VD Valckenborg and guaranteed spectators a jump-off.

Farrington and Greya then returned to slice their way around the ring, setting the time to beat at 41.82 seconds. Although Ward’s track with Marta Mattox’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding seemed tighter than Farrington’s in spots, the pair ultimately tripped the timers in 42.56 seconds for second place.

“I think Greya’s results speak for themselves,” Farrington said. “I’m a big sports fan, and stats don’t lie. She is incredible. She’s a phenomenal athlete, and she really showed that today. Jump-offs like these are actually the most uncomfortable for me, because you’ve got a guy like McLain who can pull off something crazy at the end. It’s really exciting with how much risk you want to take. If I go all-out and have one down, I hand him the win, but if I don’t put enough pressure, he can take those extra risks and beat me. It’s really a measurement of how much risk to take. I tried to measure that well today, and luckily, it paid off. But it was still too close for my comfort.”

“I’m thrilled with Lestro,” Ward said. “He’s a young, up-and-coming horse. This was his biggest Grand Prix start of his career. Less than a year ago, we were jumping 1.45m, so his progress and the way he performed today were brilliant. I think Nick set a difficult test today while keeping it fair. This is a 5* for a great deal of prize money at one of the best venues in the world; it should be hard.

“Arguably the best horse-and-rider combination in the world right now was the only other clear, and I found that quite motivating,” he continued. “I had nothing to lose in the jump-off in some ways, but at the same time, my horse is a little less experienced. I had a plan and in a couple of places didn’t pick up on the stride, which maybe would have brought things a little closer, but I’m thrilled to be second to that combination.”

“I think the course was a really appropriate test for the horses and riders we had today,” Granat said. “The Hampton Classic is such a special show. Jumping clear here is a big deal, and I think every rider should be proud for taking on the challenge.”

World #10 Christian Kukuk (GER) finished third as the fastest of the four-faulters in the initial round. He tripped the timers in 76.28 seconds aboard Akarad Tivoli Z, St. Bride’s Farm 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding. He was the only non-American to make the top five, with Skylar Wireman aboard Barclino B in fourth (4/77.01) and Aaron Vale aboard Carissimo 25 in fifth (4/79.36).

“I talked to a couple of people, including Kent, and they were already excited about coming here,” Kukuk said. “So I made a plan to join them, and I’m super, super happy I did that. I was impressed by the atmosphere, by the sport, by everything around the event.

“To be honest, even if I’d jumped clear, I would have sat in the same position,” he added. “There would be no chance. I’ve only had this horse for six months, and he’s quite green at this level. It’s just his second Grand Prix, so we are not as experienced in a jump-off like that. We had some fantastic sport today, and I think the crowd was thrilled. That’s what we aim for in shows like this; the excitement and the atmosphere are what make it such a special event.”

Along with the winner’s share of the prize money, Farrington also received a Longines timepiece and a signature rosé from Wölffer Estate. Irish-born groom Denise Moriarty, who has been with Farrington for more than a decade, earned $1,000 from Aden Brook for her exceptional care of Greya.

With his second-place finish, Ward launched to the top of the standings for the $20,000 Longines Rider Challenge for the 5* division; he earned a total of 400 points throughout the week and received a $20,000 bonus and a Longines timepiece. Egypt’s Nayel Nassar took second with 320 points, while World #3 Shane Sweetnam (IRL) finished third with 230 points.

This marks the third time Ward has won the Longines Rider Challenge, having previously secured the award in 2021 and 2024. He is one of only three riders to accomplish this, along with Sweetnam (three times) and Richie Moloney (four times).

Earlier in the day, 40 horse-and-rider combinations representing nine nations challenged Granat’s 16-effort, 1.45m course in the $70,000 Hampton Classic 2* Grand Prix presented by The Deslauriers Family & Lynne Tarnopol. World #6 Daniel Bluman (ISR) and former Hampton Classic Grand Prix champion Gemma W quickly climbed to the top of the leaderboard when they laid down a faultless jump-off round in 41.60 seconds, but one entry still proved faster: Jacqueline Ruyle (USA) aboard Cyramo Z. Ruyle and her 15-year-old Zangersheide mare stopped the clock on the winning time of 40.77 seconds.

“I saw Charlotte Jacobs go very early on, and I know she has a very fast horse,” Ruyle said. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really unbeatable. I don’t know how you could do it.’ And then everyone just kept catching her time, and I kind of forgot about those rides. I told myself, ‘Okay, I’m going to stick to my plan. I know I have a fast horse, and I’m going to go out there and have some fun.”

“While I was riding the course, I noticed I was very inside the others’ tracks,” she continued. “I think that’s where I really had it. My horse is just so fast and has so much heart, and it’s so fun going into the ring with her. I’ve made a bucket list for all the 2* events I want to win with her, and we already checked Miami off the list. We checked Wellington off the list. Now, we can check the Hampton Classic off the list.”

Bluman and the 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Blue Star Investments and Over The Top Stables LLC landed in second place. Spencer Smith (USA) took third for his 42.18-second time aboard Fantasia VD Vrombautshoeve Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide mare owned by Ashland Farms and Storm Ridge Capital LLC.

Fourth went to Farrington, who tripped the timers in 42.21 seconds aboard Nikki Angel. Rounding out the top five with a 42.40-second score was Charlotte Jacobs (USA) and Rincoola Milsean.

Ruyle’s Grand Prix win gave her a total of 290 points in the $10,000 Longines Rider Challenge for the 2* division, which ultimately earned her the title. She was awarded a $10,000 bonus and a Longines timepiece. Farrington finished second with 240 points, while Smith was third with 231 points.

To celebrate the Hampton Classic’s final day, many VIPs decorated their tables to match the beauty and uniqueness of the rings they overlooked while outdoing each other in the Hampton Cottages & Gardens Table (HC&G) Décor Awards. HC&G’s Clinton Smith judged the competition alongside guests Kelly Klein and Gabby Karan de Felice. The Compass table took blue-ribbon honors for the best-decorated table, with the teams at Quince and Wölffer Estate earning second and third for their work, respectively. Special categories included Best Overall Theme, won by Frank & Eileen; Most Innovative, won by XO Lignelli; and Best Floral Design, won by Aquitaine Equine.

FEI competition began on Thursday, August 27, with the $5,000 Citarella Open Jumper CSI2* and $32,000 CSI5* BrainJuice Two-Phase and continued throughout the weekend with seven 2*/5* classes featuring courses designed by Nick Granat (USA) and Anderson Lima (BRA). FEI competition also included Friday’s $32,000 Wölffer Estate 2* Grand Prix Qualifier, $116,100 Douglas Elliman 5* Grand Prix Qualifier, Saturday’s $62,500 5* Winning Round, and culminated with the $70,000 Hampton Classic 2* Grand Prix and $400,000 Longines Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix on Sunday, August 30. The $30,000 Longines Rider Challenges were also presented as two separate bonuses: $10,000 for the FEI 2* division and $20,000 for the FEI 5* division.

Other competition highlights included the $10,000 Stomp Capital 1.40m Open Jumper (Tuesday), $40,000 1.45m National Grand Prix (Wednesday), $10,000 Hunt & Go Stake presented by The Baran (Thursday), $10,000 Harrods Junior/Amateur Welcome Stake (Friday). $10,000 Hermès Equitation Championship (Saturday), $30,000 Agneta & Brownlee Currey 1.45m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic and $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic (Sunday).

Each year, approximately 50,000 people – including many A-list celebrities – come to watch the nation’s best equestrian athletes compete at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Rated USEF ‘Premier-6’ for hunters and jumpers with designated FEI 2* and 5* jumping classes, the Hampton Classic features more than 200 competitions in six spectacular show rings, the Agneta Currey Boutique Garden with more than 70 vendors, and a wide selection of dining options, all on its world-class 60-acre show grounds. For more information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show, please call 631.537.3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation. hamptonclassic.com

You can keep up with updates by following us on twitter @hamptonsmedia and bookmarking our People & Parties pages for full write-ups and videos and interviews…or even use the rss feed on this blog! You can find handy links to both The Hampton Classic plus lodging and/or dining from Westhampton to Montauk on “The Hamptons”.com

the hamptons