In The Air lived up to her name Sunday in the $400,000 Longines Hampton Classic CSI5* Grand Prix, carrying rider Jessica Mendoza to her first five-star win with one of only two double-clear scores on the closing day of the 50th Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton, New York.
Celebrating 50 years of world-class equestrian competition in 2025, the Hampton Classic featured FEI CSI5* and CSI2* show jumping and USEF Premier hunter competitions with more than $1 million in prize money. For the show’s marquee five-star grand prix, course designer Nick Granat set a highly technical course featuring 17 total jumping efforts set at 1.60 meters for the 39 horse-and-rider combinations representing 14 countries. The first-round track proved to be quite the challenge as the class went on.
Kristen Vanderveen was the first to pass the test without fault aboard Bull Run’s Jireh, but it took another 17 trips before Mendoza, of Great Britain, guaranteed the spectators a jump-off. World No. 22 Shane Sweetnam, representing Ireland, was the only other rider to join them, riding James Kann Cruz.
“I knew today was going to be very difficult, and with the seated order based off Friday’s qualifier, that we had to wait for a clear round,” Granat said. “I was really pleased with the class and the jump-off. There is always pressure to have some clears; everyone wants to see a jump-off. I was happy we were able to give them one.”
Entering the jump-off first, Vanderveen and Bull Run Jumpers Inc.’s 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding took a risk while setting the time to beat in the tiebreaker course, but the final fence fell to put them on a four-fault score and leave the door open for their fellow competitors. Mendoza immediately followed with her double-clear score in 37.34 seconds aboard the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Air Jordan Z—Selva, VDL Indoctro) she co-owns with Georgia Kipp, Kristi Mitchem, Mellissa Skowlund and Pernilla Amman, which ultimately secured her first FEI five-star win.
Watch Mendoza’s winning jump-off round, courtesy of ClipMyHorse.tv:
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“It’s a pretty amazing win,” Mendoza said. “This is one of the best American shows. It’s truly amazing to be here and to win the Grand Prix. It’s always fun to go into the jump-off with the top three; you don’t have much to lose. I knew there was a bit of room where Shane could catch me, but my mare was perfect across the ground. She’s an incredible horse and had an incredible summer. She really found herself this year.”
Sweetnam and his and Gizmo Partners LLC’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding landed in second place with their faultless time of 37.90 seconds, dropping Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Jireh into third.
“I was very happy with my horse,” Sweetnam said. “He’s a very different horse (from Jessica’s). He spends a bit of time in the air and is a bit of a slower horse, so I did my plan close enough to what I thought would be enough to challenge. He jumped great. In hindsight, I could have taken a few more gambles.”
The victory also earned Mendoza the $20,000 Longines Rider Challenge for the CSI5* division, which awarded a $20,000 bonus and a second Longines timepiece. She finished the week with a total of 395 points. Sweetnam earned second with 355 points, while Skylar Wireman took third with 324 points.
Prior to the Grand Prix, Israeli show jumper Daniel Bluman presented the talented 17-year-old Zangersheide gelding Ladriano Z to the competition ring for the last time for a retirement ceremony. Bluman took over the reins from Colombia’s Ilan Bluman in the winter of 2016, and the new partnership ultimately competed in the 2018 World Equestrian Games (North Carolina), 2022 World Championships (Denmark), 2023 World Cup Final (Nebraska) and 2024 Olympic Games (Paris), as well as two of Bluman’s three Hampton Classic Grand Prix victories (2017 and 2023).
Click here for complete results for the $400,000 Longines Hampton Classic CSI5* Grand Prix.
