On September 2nd, Karen Polle and her long-time partner, With Wings, topped a star-studded field in the $250,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix, Presented by Longines, to take the biggest prize at the 40th Annual Hampton Classic. Polle, 23, who is entering her senior year at Yale University, claimed her Japanese citizenship in 2014. She’s hoping to qualify for the Japanese Olympic team in 2016 and when Japan hosts the Olympics in 2020. Todd Minikus, of Wellington, Florida, took second place on Babalou 41, Chris Sorensen of Canada took third on Bobby, and Meagan Nusz, of The Woodlands, Texas, took fourth on Dynamo.

As always, this year’s Hampton Classic featured its usual impressive line-up of celebrity attendees including: Brooke Shields, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Jerry Seinfeld, Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, Georgina Chapman, Amy Hargreaves, Jill Rappaport, Luis Ortiz, LuAnn de Lesseps, James Lipton, plus former New York City Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani, producers Harvey Weinstein and L.A. Reid, Donna Karan, Martha Stewart, Tom Wolfe, hockey Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert, and supermodels Christie Brinkley and Christy Turlington.

Longines Vice President, Juan-Carlos Capelli and Hampton Classic Executive Director Shanette Cohen presented Shane Sweetham with his $30,000 check and Longines timepiece for winning the Longines Leading Rider Challenge.  Sweetnam was the only rider who scored points in all 10 of the week’s open jumper classes, winning two of them. Sweetnam’s total of 355 points easily outdistanced Minikus and Paul O’Shea.

On Saturday, Paul O’Shea of Ireland recovered from what seemed a devastating crash in Friday’s $50,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix to win the $40,000 Longines Cup aboard Skara Glen’s Dolphin. McLain Ward could not be denied victory in Friday’s $50,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Qualifier, presented by Longines. As the seventh of 10 riders in the jump-off, Ward and HH Azur made a tight turn to the third fence that no one before him had attempted, slicing the leading time by more than 2 seconds.

Abigail McArdle rode Cosma 20 to the win in the $15,000 Merrill Lynch Speed Derby presented by Sotheby’s International Realty. The pair also won the $10,000 Shamrock Ventures Open Jumper earlier in the week. McArdle’s time in the Speed Derby easily bested Sydney Shulman on Wamira. Emma Waldfogel, of Palo Alto, Calif., made her first trip to the Hampton Classic a rewarding one by winning the $5,000 Strong’s Marine Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic and the Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship, on Zorro.

Francesca Dildabanian of New York City won the $5,000 Gray Equestrian Services Junior Jumper Classic presented by Skyline Stables on Catika Van De Helle. That victory gave Dildabanian and Catika Van De Helle the Low Junior Jumper Championship. Dildabanian also grabbed the reserve championship with Ollywood Des Horts.

Lucy Deslauriers, of Southampton, N.Y., defeated three rivals in the jump-off to win the $25,000 Campbell Stables Show Jumping Derby. Her faultless round in 39.66 seconds bested Kaely Tomeu on Fidalgo Van Het Leliehof and Philip Richter on Pistoya. Victory in the Show Jumping Derby was meaningful for Deslauriers, 16, who won the Young Rider individual Gold Medal at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships in July.

Sophie Simpson won the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Style of Riding Award, chosen by the jury from riders competing in the Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper division. Victoria Colvin was among the most dominant riders at the Classic, winning in hunters, jumpers and equitation. She won the $50,000 iHeart Media Hunter Derby; the $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Welcome Stake; two Junior Hunter championships; the $10,000 Sam Edelman Equitation Championship; the $30,000 East Coast 7-Year-Old Young Jumper Championship and the $10,000 Hermès Hunter Classic.

Coco Fath, of Fairfield, Conn., won the Small Junior Hunter, 15 and Under, Championship on Akinda.  As has been true for the last several years, Scott Stewart was the man in the hunter ring at the Hampton Classic. Horses he rode or trained won two championships and three reserve championships. Samantha Karp rode Zentina B to the blue ribbon in the $2,500 Marshall & Sterling Children’s, 15-17, Hunter Classic.

Emily Sun, of Scarsdale, N.Y., rode her own Balthazar to win the $2,500 Marshall & Sterling Children’s, 14 and Under, Hunter Classic. Like Karp, Sun, a 10th grader at Scarsdale High School, trains at Heritage Farm. Chloe Hase, 17, a senior at Southampton High School, and Sue Marder-O’Connor, a teacher at the nearby Springs School, finished in a tie for the South Fork Perpetual Trophy, awarded to the Grand Local Hunter Champion.

For the 10th consecutive year, the Hampton Classic hosted the championship finals for the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities, with riders in three divisions competing for year-end titles. Bridgehampton National Bank sponsored the day of competition for riders with disabilities, and James Manseau, the bank’s executive vice president, handed out the ribbons and trophies. Hermès provided commemorative coolers to the champions, and Priscilla Smith-Gremillion presented them.

Further information on the Hampton Classic is available at the Hampton Classic website at www.hamptonclassic.com or by calling 631-537-3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.