BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY — The Hampton Classic Horse Show is about to celebrate its 25th Anniversary with the running of the Hampton Classic 2000 — August 27 through September 3. As part of its Silver Anniversary celebration, the Classic hopes to publish a group of historical photos and vignettes covering the first quarter-century of the country’s foremost riding event.

“We are hoping our fans and past Hampton Classic competitors will go through their photo albums or take a moment to jot a special Classic memory for us to consider putting in our souvenir program,” said the event’s co-director Jean Lindgren.

The Classic will accept photos and memories by conventional mail (PO Box 3013, Bridgehampton, NY 11932) or by email (classic@peconic.net). The show’s management promises to take special care of any original photograph that is submitted and asks that each photo be labeled with the owner’s full name, address and telephone number. All photographs submitted will be returned immediately after this year’s Hampton Classic. Each person who has a photograph or memory used in the show’s souvenir program will be rewarded with a special gift from the Classic’s souvenir booth and a complimentary program.

Cyber Cafe

Long Island’s star-bedecked equestrian and social event, the Hampton Classic Horse Show, has placed a major bet that its new Instinet Cyber Café will become the focal point for the promotion of a diverse collection of web-based sponsors.

The Hampton Classic is entering its 25th year and is advertising that it is now “25 years new,” having just completed a major overhaul of its Bridgehampton show site. “Once we recognized that we were going to be spending several hundred thousand dollars making significant site changes, we decided to add a fully functional Cyber Café to our newly location Boutiques Garden,” noted the show’s Executive Director, Tony Hitchcock.

A new equestrian lifestyle web site, EquestrianLife.com has signed on as the Classic’s Official Equestrian web site. The site is expected to have its official launch at this year’s Hampton Classic Horse Show.

For a new Candid-of-the-Day contest, the Classic plans to provide “loaner” digital cameras to interested spectators who will take a series of candid shots throughout the showgrounds and then return to the internet Café for an on-site evaluation of their efforts. They can then submit their favorite shot in the daily candid contest. Daily winners will have their candids posted on the Classic’s web site and an overall Best of Show candid photographer will receive a grand prize award from the Classic’s digital photography partner.

Art Committee Selection

The Hampton Classic Horse Show Art committee has selected Janet Crawford, 32, as the featured artist for the Silver Anniversary Edition of the 25th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show.

“I’m very happy to have the work well-received and thrilled to be doing the Hampton Classic poster. It was the first time I had sent anything in so it was a great surprise,” said Crawford.

The image she chose to enter was an oil painting of the profile of a bay horse. Crawford said, “I thought it was a good classic image of a horse and something that everyone could relate to.” The artist prefers to use oils saying, “I think a lot of people find it a timeless medium.”

Crawford, originally from Cumberland, RI, resides in Somers, CT, with her husband and hackney pony trainer Rodney Hicks, and their 22-month-old son Daniel. Together the family travels throughout North America showing pones as well as Crawford’s artwork at events such as the Devon Horse Show (Devon, PA), the Pennsylvania National (Harrisburg, PA) and the Royal Winter Fair (Canada).

As she travels to different hunter/jumper horse shows, Crawford collects images for her artwork. Before painting the bay profile, Crawford took a photograph of a horse at last year’s Devon Horse Show. “It was a horse with a lot of white on him,” Crawford noted, “but I made him a solid bay because I felt that the white was distracting.”

Through keen observation at the competitions, Crawford discovers the nuances that are representative of the show world. She is able to tap into the heart of the behind-the-scenes action, revealing the essence and beauty found at competitions.

Crawford began drawing and painting as a child; her subject has continually been horses except for the time she spent at Rhode Island College, which she devoted to figurative study. Upon graduation in 1991, Crawford began painting professionally. Her studio, The Equestrian Collection in Somers, CT.

In addition to being selected as this year’s Hampton Classic artist, Crawford’s resume boasts a long list of accomplishments including being a cover artist for The Chronicle of the Horse and Horse America (Horseman’s Yankee Pedlar) in 1999 as well as currently being an illustrator for Horse World Magazine.

Show Details

The Hampton Classic will be held August 27 through September 3 and its 67-acre show site in Bridgehampton, Long Island.

More than 40,000 spectators are expected to attend the Classic, which is a fundraising event for Southampton Hospital, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and the United States Equestrian Team. About 1,500 horses compete in the annual horse show, with riders from more than 40 states and several foreign countries participating.

For the Olympic Team riders, the Classic will be the last show in which they can compete, prior to departure for Sydney.

The show will celebrate its 25th Anniversary with over $500,000 in prize money and a number of new events.

The $50,000 BestSelections.com East Coast League Finals of the Young Jumper Championships will be held on Sunday, September 3 prior to the $150,000 Crown Royal Grand Prix, presented by David Yurman. Other events during the week include the $25,000 Prudential Grand Prix Qualifying Class, the $25,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix, the $10,000 CK Equitation Championships, the $25,000 Calvin Klein Show Jumping Derby, and the $100,000 Grand Prix Bonus Challenge.

For more info on the Hampton Classic be sure to visit the web site at www.hamptonclassic.com or call 631/537-3177 or send email to classic@peconic.net.