A True Classic

As the 50th annual Hampton Classic takes place this week, please do keep in mind just what an enormous undertaking it is, how much devotion it takes to put on such a high-quality international event, and how deep its local roots really do go.

Detailed in a special publication last week that The Express News Group was proud to produce, the Classic began in 1976 with a more modest name: The Southampton Horse Show, though that first event actually was held in East Hampton. It was a revival of a tradition that dated back to the early 20th century, when a one-day horse show was held annually in Southampton.

Today, it is a weeklong event, its Grand Prix offers prizes totaling $400,000, and it holds a place as one of the world’s truly great horse shows, and a must-attend social event to boot.

So much work goes into putting on the Classic every year, creating what amounts to a small city on the Bridgehampton fields where it takes place. It’s a labor of love, but it’s also a big business, and it provides a late-summer boost to both the social calendar and the local economy.

Hats off to the Hampton Classic, and to the next 50 years — and beyond.