A dramatic win by two-time Olympic veteran Daniel Bluman provided a memorable finish to the 45th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show. This year’s Classic, August 29-September 5, featured more than 200 classes in six show rings across the Classic’s 60-acre show grounds. More than 1,000 horses and riders of all ages and abilities competed across hunter, jumper, and equitation divisions, including five FEI classes showcasing Olympic veterans and other elite riders from nine countries.
During the jump-off for the $300,000 LONGINES Hampton Classic Grand Prix Presented by Land Rover, Israel’s Daniel Bluman blazed ahead of Mclain Ward of the US, who had just taken the lead on his 2021 Olympic mount Contagious, owned by Beechwood Stables LLC. Bluman, two-time Olympian and 2017 Hampton Classic Grand Prix champion, brought home the blue ribbon and a new LONGINES timepiece for his breathtaking ride aboard Blue Star Investments’ Gemma W.
After watching Ward take the lead, Bluman said he was going to give everything he had so he would be faster, and his risky plays in the ring worked out in his favor. “It was a really incredible feeling,” he said. “It’s really special not only because it’s the Hampton Classic, but because it’s McLain Ward on his home turf. To beat him today is definitely one that I’ll always remember.”
Bluman also finished second in Saturday’s $73,000 LONGINES Cup behind Alex Matz (USA), son of Show Jumping Hall of Famer and three-time U.S. Olympian Michael Matz and Pan American Games Team Bronze Medalist D.D. Alexander Matz. Matz piloted Erdento Van De Leeuwerk, owned by Horseshoe Trail Farm LLC, to the only double-clear ride in a field of 29 riders, marking his first victory in a major event at the Hampton Classic.
“My strategy going into the jump-off was to try to leave all the fences up,” Matz said with a smile. “I didn’t know if I could be faster than Daniel, but I thought I’d try to leave them all up and hope that luck would be on my side. It definitely changed my thinking a bit when Daniel dropped a rail, but I just focused on trying to have a clear round. I was fortunate that my horse jumped great.”