The Hamptons Classic

This week is the annual Hamptons Classic in Southampton and though the weather was on the contrary side today, Liz D. and I made it out in the afternoon for a couple hours. The event was first organized in the early 1900s, discontinued during WW1, revived in the roaring 20s and stopped again during WWII. It became the Hampton Classic when it expanded in 1976 from a local one-day show to a rated five-day show.

Caroline was there with a couple friends, as were artist Lynn and her furniture designer husband Keith. Liz and I are pic'd below with the latter two at the Exhibitor Party & JustWorld International’s “Horseless Horse Show.”Friday's $50,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Qualifier. With more than 1,600 horses exhibited today, the Classic is among the nation's largest hunter/jumper horse shows. Total prize money: $600,000. (Photo: Jon Kassel)And the winner... a horse with no name? (Photo: Jon Kassel)These horses did not participate in the Classic. Their performance was judged as too wooden. Har, har, har. Actually, this pair greets one at the gallery of shops.And here tis the gallery, where you can buy riding boots, memorabilia from the classic, appropriate fashions for the event, jewelry, crafts and, uh, Uggs?The small cup'll cost you $3.50. This is no nickel lemonade stand.For the privileged, of course, there are VIP-sponsored tables, complete with fine catered food and champagne, wine and the works.No plastic cutlery, thank god. That's for picnics and camping, not the Classic. Fah, fah, indeed.And the winners are...One of the smaller, $15,000 qualifying events.At the vendor party; there is actually a second gargantuan sandwich that spells out "C-L-A-S-S-I-C." I couldn't hope to get all of that in my camera lens.No one could figure out if these were for human consumption or for the horses. No matter: There were ice cream sandwiches, certainly just as healthy.Bizarro cloud formations over the Classic almost made it look as if there were snow caps far in the distance.