August 29, 2004 - Bridgehampton, NY — The 29th annual Hampton Classic got off to a strong start with the Manhattan Mortgage Company’s Opening Day festivities on Sunday, August 29.

Competition got underway in the morning with the Lead-line competitions where nearly 100 youngsters under the age of 7 and their ponies filled the ring with pint-sized excitement for several hours. Headlining the festivities on Manhattan Mortgage Company’s Opening Day was the only show jumping competition to take place, the $20,000 David Yurman Time Challenge. All other equestrian events featured local riders who stable their horses on Long Island, giving Opening Day its other moniker, ‘Local Day’.

The 29th annual Hampton Classic was officially opened at noon, with an exhibition of the Smithtown Hunt Club, a musical dressage exhibition, and the World of the Horse parade featuring a variety of horse breeds. Throughout the Hampton Classic, families are welcome to visit the World of the Horse exhibition tent and show yard with its playground set contributed by Walpole Woodworkers. Located behind the main Grandstand, visitors can get up close and personal with the popular llamas and alpacas as well as the Millstones Farm’s miniature horses. There are pony rides for the kids, the Double-Bar-D petting zoo, Precious Parrot exhibition of rescued parrots & Macaws, and the Suffolk County’s SPCA will be on hand demonstrating cat and dog care.

Shopping is also a sport at the Hampton Classic with numerous shops in Stable Row and the Boutique Garden including the popular Hampton Classic stand with its much-coveted merchandise such as souvenir t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, mugs and other ‘Classic’ memorabilia. And while there will be no competition on Monday, August 30, all of the boutiques will be open for shopping and admission is free of charge.

There simply is no other competition that brings together the thrill and prestige of the hunter-jumper circuit with so many thousands of spectators, extravagant social events and celebrities, all surrounded by the beaches and elegant villages of Long Island’s summer playground—The Hamptons.

Competition runs through Sunday, September 5 with a break in competition on Monday, August 30. Admission is $10 per person or $20 per carload, with children under 6 admitted free. Reserved grandstand seating for Sunday, September 5, is $15 per person (in addition to regular admission) or $25 per person in the special Premium Seating center sections. Parking is free throughout the week. Hampton Classic proceeds benefit Southampton Hospital.

For more information on Manhattan Mortgage Company’s Opening Day and the Hampton Classic Horse Show, please visit the Hampton Classic website at www.hamptonclassic.com or call (631) 537-3177.