Every summer, a few things announce that August has arrived in the Hamptons. Route 27 slows to a crawl. Dinner reservations turn into rare prizes. And six bright show rings land side by side on the fields in Bridgehampton, setting the stage for the Hampton Classic Horse Show. But this year, one of the event’s oldest partners, Douglas Elliman, is celebrating a milestone of its own: three decades of sponsorship.
Douglas Elliman — now a sprawling, coast-to-coast real estate company — first attached its name to the Classic in 1996, when the firm was still mostly local. Thirty years later, the brokerage is national, the Classic is a marquee event in the horse world, and both have become fixtures in Hamptons life. Every summer, nearly 50,000 people make their way to the showgrounds: some for the horses, some for the spectacle, and plenty just to be part of the crowd. For many, it’s as much a social affair as a competition, drawing luminaries from entertainment, sports, and fashion.
This year, like clockwork, Elliman sponsors one of the week’s main attractions — the $116,100 5-Star Grand Prix Qualifier. The event, set for August 28, decides who gets a shot at the Longines Hampton Classic 5-Star Grand Prix, the final event, and lets the winner trot off draped in a custom blanket from the Clothes Horse of New Jersey, a workshop led by designer Edith Friedman’s protégé Katrina Coldren.
“For three decades, Douglas Elliman has been proud to stand alongside The Hampton Classic — an event that’s become a symbol of tradition, excellence, and the Hamptons’ unique spirit,” said Michael S. Liebowitz, the brokerage’s president and CEO.
Todd Bourgard, who heads Elliman’s brokerage for Long Island, the Hamptons, and the North Fork, put it plainly: this partnership is part of their DNA. “Our connection to this community runs deep,” he said. “Every year the Classic brings together the people, lifestyle, and values that make this region so special.”
The timing also lines up with the fall issue of Elliman’s in-house Equestrian magazine, which has become a sort of companion to the show itself. The cover? Kent Farrington, the world’s top-ranked show jumper, offers a close look at life and discipline behind the victories. Inside, there’s a glance at Maybach’s luxury equestrian line, a nod to the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, and snapshots of elegant horse properties Elliman agents are offering up and down the country.
“Equestrian is a celebration of the people, craftsmanship, and traditions that define the equestrian lifestyle,” said Lena Johnson, Elliman’s president of national brokerage. She pointed out that the magazine matches “the same spirit of excellence that’s made our partnership with The Hampton Classic so meaningful for the past three decades.”
You’ll find copies of the magazine at the show and in Elliman offices everywhere; there’s a digital version floating online too.
For Elliman, the Classic is more than another marketing win. It’s a week when the brand stands right at the heart of the event. No hard sell, no listing sheets — only the simple presence that comes from being part of the tradition.
