The Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton began early Sunday morning with leadline classes for 2-through-7-year-olds who sat up straight aboard ponies as a three-time Olympian, Joe Fargis, watched them pass back and forth and, once aligned in a row, posed questions having to do with horsemanship.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Fargis, who has been judging the Classic’s leadline classes for many years. “The kids love it, the parents love it . . . it’s just wonderful. This is what sports are about — competing and having a good time, not taking it too seriously.”
All 83 of the young competitors got blue ribbons, and seven — Hailey Romeo and Aine Bykov, who ride in Flanders, Esmeralda Sanampudi of Sagaponack, Zoe Bensimon of Bayville, Piper Goldberg of Medford, and Lenox Rottenstreich and Scarlett Calame, both of whom ride in Greenvale — were section champions.
East End Stables of East Hampton probably had the most entries, 11 — seven in the younger sections and four in the older ones. Standing near the Grand Prix ring’s entry gate, Christine de Leyer, who co-owns the stables with her husband, Andre, looked on intently, urging her students to sit up and keep their legs back.
Asked during a break in the action if East End had been sold to Billy Joel, as had been rumored, she said, with a smile, “No, he looked at it, but he didn’t buy it. He bought a small farm on Town Lane . . . before you get to Stony Hill, across the street from Sportime. . . .”
The young entrants drew numerous familial well-wishers, three generations in the case of 3-year-old Kennedy Rose Bistrian, whose great-grandfather Barry Bistrian, grandfather B.J. Bistrian, and parents, Brett and Casey, were there.
“He’ll have to get another job,” B.J. Bistrian said of his son when the subject of buying a horse came up.
Besides Kennedy Rose, other young East End Stables students competing that day were Charlotte Whelan-Semkus, Daphne Hickey, Oliver Baigent, Nova Morsch, Marylin Yedid, Eva Hoisington, Isabelle Hickey, Holden Baigent, Abigail Doodah, and Chase Moyscycz.
Lisa Armon, one of East End’s trainers, who began riding there at the age of 4 with Leigh Bistrian, Jen Santacroce’s predecessor as barn manager, said it had taken her 31 years to buy a horse, Joey (My Intention), who was born and bred at the Stables.
“What is it I love about riding? Well, it’s the feeling of trust you have with an animal who, if it weren’t for that trust, would do what he wants. Being with a horse is a wonderful feeling, no question.”
Armon, who is about to enter her 16th year as a special ed teacher at the East Hampton Middle School, said East End had “a good mix of local and summer kids who all love to ride.”
The de Leyer name came up a few moments later when the new Grand Prix course designer, Nick Granat of Naperville, Ill., walked by, for he had learned to ride with Marty de Leyer when growing up in St. James.
