Scott Stewart has a long history of success at the Hampton Classic, and Wednesday saw another row of champion rosettes added to his collection.
Victorious in four major divisions just as he was in 2016, Stewart has every reason to look forward to attending the Hampton Classic each August.
Stewart won the championship in the High Performance Hunter 3'9" division with Lucador, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker. Reserve went to Koala, ridden by Victoria Colvin and owned by John & Stephanie Ingram.
Following the presentation ceremony, Stewart reviewed Lucador's performances leading to the overall title:
"He went great, he won every class except for one, in which he was third. I'm really pleased with his performances, especially after all the rain last night. The footing today was actually even better than it was yesterday. This is the only time in the season we show in a grass ring, so it's a little different and it's something we have to practice for at home. When you have a good horse and the conditions are nice as they are here, they probably jump their best of the year at this show. It's one of the nicest to come to."
Jennifer Hannan of Wakefield, RI, piloted Patricia Fulchino's Best Regards to the championship in the Green Conformation hunters.
Said Hannan: "We've shown at the Hamptons many times but this is my first time being champion. Today he went just beautifully. The weather was a little windy and I think he handled the circumstances really well. He jumped a '10' and was really cooperative. I couldn't be happier."
Update on the $30,000 Longines Rider Challenge:
Richie Moloney of Ireland maintains the lead in the $30,000 Longines Rider Challenge with a total of 163.5 points. Brianne Goutal of USA is second with 110 points, and McLain Ward has taken over the third position with 99 points. The Challenge continues throughout the week, and will be awarded Sunday.