Party Pictures 9/8/04 - Closing out the 29th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show

Prudential Financial Grand Prix, closing the 29th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show

Marianne von Burchard

Julia Buonanno, Cassie Strumph, and Lydia Buonanno

Primi Chang, Joanna Wolffer, and Maria Valdes

Last weekend Bridgehampton, Darragh Kerins of Ireland rode Nabucco to victory in the $150,000 Prudential Financial Grand Prix, closing the 29th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show.

Kerins was the first of three entries from the starting field of 26 to qualify for the tie-breaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 14 jump, first round course designed by Conrad Homfeld. He then turned in another clean ride, completing the eight-jump tiebreaker course fault-free in 47.29 seconds on his nine-year-old, Dutch Warmblood.

Next up was Robin Sweely of Madison, Virginia. She matched Kerins clean ride, but her time of 49.14 seconds on Qarco V’T Merelsnest left her just shy of the lead. Her ultimate second-place finish was good enough to earn her the horse show’s Open Jumper Championship.

The day’s final entry, two-time champion Jeffery Welles of Pound Ridge, New York, managed to beat Kerins’s time, finishing the jump-off in 44.24 seconds. However, his mount, Armani, lowered a rail at the second fence in the jump-off fore four faults and a third-place finish.

“This is by far the biggest class I’ve ever jumped in,” Kerins said after his win, “and to win it is a dream come true. When I cleared the water at the end of the first round, I was amazed that I was on the verge of a clean round at the Hampton Classic. Then we hit the last fence and I almost blew it. Fortunately the rail stayed up and I was in the jump-off.”

This was Kerins’ first Grand Prix win. The line-up for the Prudential Financial Grand Prix was determined by the $30,000 Adequan Grand Prix held two days prior. It was also the opening event in the US-East World Cup League which determines the show jumping riders who will represent the United States at the 2005 World Cup Final in Las Vegas from April 20 – 24.