Friday ended with a star-studded lineup at the Hampton Classic as many of the top riders in equestrian sport competed in the $75,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix Qualifier Presented by LONGINES. At the end of a very close jump-off round, Ireland’s Nicky Galligan took home the win by half a second.
Ten out of 25 horse-and-rider combinations returned to jump off in Friday’s featured class, with Schuyler Riley (USA) riding first and setting a 31.830-second time to beat aboard Robin De Ponthual, a 16-year-old Selle Français gelding owned by Katherine Gallagher. Their lead held until Galligan rode his Javas Miss Jordan, a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare, to a time of 31.320 seconds.
“I’m very proud to be here at such a prestigious show like this,” Galligan said. “I have to give a special mention to the horse show committee for working tirelessly to get us into this ring today, and I have to compliment how well it rode.”
“Our intention was to go out and be competitive today, but not leave it all out there because we still have one eye on Sunday,” Galligan added. “I went early enough in the jump-off that I thought if I could go quick enough and put a bit of pressure on, I might get lucky and it would hold through the rest of the class. To be honest, I thought I was a little too conservative to the last jump and left the door open (for another rider to beat my time), but thankfully my luck was in today.”
Riley and Robin De Ponthual ultimately finished in second place over the 14-effort 1.60m course designed by Ireland’s Alan Wade. Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa stopped the clock at a third-place jump-off time of 31.950 seconds aboard Lord Lucio, a 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion owned by Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC.
“My horse is a very special horse to me and my family,” Galligan said. “She’s the reason I’m in the States. I came over as a boy with a dream to ride in the top level of the sport, and we’ve owned her since she was four years old. It’s incredibly exciting to produce her all the way through and have results like this in an esteemed company. These were all people that I looked up to and aspired to be like as a child, so it’s an honor to compete with them and especially to have a win.”
After his competitive placing in the Grand Prix Qualifier, McLain Ward (USA) continues to hold the lead in the $30,000 LONGINES Rider Challenge with a total of 378 points. Pessoa is in second place with 260 points, and Adrienne Sternlicht (USA) has moved into third with 197 points. The Challenge will be awarded after Sunday’s $300,000 LONGINES Hampton Classic Grand Prix Presented by Land Rover.
Other jumper highlights included the $10,000 Citarella Amateur/Amateur-Owner 1.25m Jumper Classic, won by Andrea Vogel of New York, N.Y., and her I Dream. The pair also won the Amateur/Amateur-Owner 1.20m Jumper Championship.
Aaron Vale of Williston, Fla., took home the 7 & Under Jumper Championship and the Dani Portela Perpetual Trophy aboard Lori Osterstock’s Fireball SCF. Corinne Sweeney of Oyster Bay, N.Y., rode Sagamore Farms’ Cerobin to victory in the $10,000 TAK Protective Services Junior 1.25m Jumper Classic and the Junior Jumper 1.20m Championship.
source: Press release