Hampton Classic Completes Installation of New Grand Prix Field

             $1M Renovation Continues Classic’s Grass Field Tradition

In September 2018, immediately following the Hampton Classic, the Classic’s Board of Directors approved a $1 million renovation of the Classic’s famed Grand Prix field.  Work began almost immediately and the project was complete and ready to welcome back the horse show’s top national and international competitors when the 44th annual event returned to its phenomenal 60-acre showgrounds in Bridgehampton, NY, August 25-September 1, 2019. 

“After much study and discussion, the decision was made to completely renovate our grass grand prix field,” said Lisa Deslauriers, chairman of the Hampton Classic Board of Directors. “As always, the safety and well-being of our horses and riders was of first and foremost concern and we are thrilled that we were able to come up with a plan to improve the footing while maintaining our tradition of a grass field. Seeing the new field is very exciting and we look forward to an outstanding Hampton Classic this August!”

The project has been managed from the start by Allen Rheinheimer, the show’s Equestrian Manager, in concert with the Hampton Classic’s turf consultant, Steven McDonald. Founder of Turfgrass Disease Solutions, LLC, McDonald consults for more than 150 athletic fields, golf courses, and unique turfgrass systems each year.

“I really am thrilled with how well everything has fallen into place,” said Rheinheimer. “I commend the board for recognizing that we were beyond a band-aid approach and that a complete renovation was needed. We dug down more than six feet and built a whole new ring from the bottom up. I think that exhibitors will be thrilled with what they see this summer.”
 

The new field features a base of stabilization textile, perforated piping, a rock drainage layer, and an 8” topsoil/sand/fiber top layer. Installation of the Kentucky Bluegrass sod was completed in April 2019. The field will also continue to benefit from some of the capital improvements made in recent years, such as perimeter drainage, a new well, and a new irrigation system.

Hampton Classic Board President, Dennis Suskind commented, “I am excited at the prospect of having outstanding grass footing in our field, and I am confident this project has gotten us there.”

While work on the approximately 2.5-acre arena is complete, the project has not yet been fully funded. The Hampton Classic, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, launched a capital campaign to raise $1 million, and is already 2/3 of the way to that goal. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by clicking the donate button below, or by contacting the office directly at 631-537-3177.