Bridgehampton, N.Y.- Paul O'Shea of Ireland recovered from what seemed a devastating crash in Friday's grand prix to win the $40,000 Longines Cup on Skara Glen's Dolphin on Saturday. 

 

His faultless jump-off round, in 41.52 seconds, handily eclipsed Hayley Barnhill on Zephire (O faults/42.51 seconds) and Molly Ashe-Cawley on Cocq A Doodle (0 faults/43.86 seconds). O'Shea was the final starter, riding Skara Glen's Dolphin, a 10-year-old stallion.

 

During Friday's $50,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Qualifier, O'Shea fell with Skara Glen's Sienna and was eliminated. But O'Shea, an international competitor who has lived in Wellington, Fla., for years, pushed the crash to the back of his mind as he prepared for the Longines Cup.

 

"I didn't want to dwell on it. It's the best thing to get it out of your mind," he said. "It actually took me a long, long time to learn to go forward after I made a mistake. But now I've learned that, if I make a mistake, I say to myself, 'I know something good is going to happen next.'"

 

And victory in the Longines Cup was made even sweeter when O'Shea spotted his aunt, uncle and cousin cheering with all their might at ringside after he'd galloped through the finish line. "They live in New York, and I didn't know they were coming," said O'Shea. "They were here last year too, but they said they didn't want to disturb me before the class. But I could hear them when I finished!"

 

Riding last gave O'Shea the advantage in the five-horse jump-off field. But Barnhill, of Collierville, Tenn., had the disadvantageous position of going first. She and Zephire, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood, galloped deceptively smoothly around the Grand Prix Field-but their time held up until it was O'Shea's turn.

 

Still, Barnhill didn't know how she could have beaten O'Shea if she could go again. "I'd probably have done one less stride to the oxer at fence 4-I was probably a little conservative there. But I could have also had a rail there if I'd done that," she said.

 

Ashe-Cawley, of Wellington, Fla., said she couldn't have beaten the top two. 

 

"Cocq A Doodle hasn't had many classes this big, with all the questions like this. I really like this horse, and I think she has a great, great future, so I didn't want to take any chances," said Ashe-Cawley. "Plus, she hit a fence hard in the schooling area, which I certainly didn't want to happen, so I wanted to make sure she was confident with a nice double-clear."

 

For his victory, O'Shea gets to wear a Longines timepiece, presented to him by Juan-Carlos Capelli, vice president and head of international marketing at Longines.

 

On Sunday, Capelli will also present a Longines timepiece to the winner of the $30,000 Longines Leading Rider Challenge. But, even though he's standing second with 165 points (having won the $10,000 Open Jumper on Tuesday with Primo Calypso), O'Shea will not win that timepiece too. That's because fellow Irishman Shane Sweetnam has amassed an unbeatable lead with 315 points, even though he only finished ninth in the Longines Cup on Eregast Van'T Kiezelhof, which still earned 21 points. 

 The Hampton Classic, the prestigious culminating event of the Hamptons' famed summer season, runs August 23-30 in Bridgehampton, NY, hosting its 40th year of world-class equestrian competition. Many of the world's top jumper and hunter riders come from across the country and beyond to compete for their share of some of the richest prize money in the nation.

 The Hampton Classic features six show rings, a Boutique Garden with more than 70 vendors, and a wide selection of dining options and a Farmer's Market, all on its 60-acre show grounds. With its top competition and pristine setting, The Hampton Classic is not just a place to see, it's also a place to be seen. Just in the last two years, A-list celebrities such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jennifer Lopez, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Matt Lauer, Kelly Ripa, Julianne Moore, Sofia Vergara and Mary-Kate Olsen have been in attendance.

  The Hampton Classic hosts more than 100 classes of competition for horses and riders of all ages and abilities. A wide range of hunter, jumper and equitation classes are offered from leadline classes all the way up to the grand prix level. The Classic also has classes for riders with disabilities. The Classic culminates on Sunday, August 30, "Grand Prix Sunday," with an impressive schedule of classes including three finals - the $30,000 7-Year-Old Young Jumper Championship Finals, the $25,000 Campbell Stables Show Jumping Derby, and the $250,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix Presented by LONGINES - in the Grand Prix Ring, as well as the $10,000 Hermès Hunter Classic in the Anne Aspinall Ring.

 For those who can't make it to the show grounds, complimentary live webcasts of all Grand Prix ring classes are shown on the Hampton Classic website, produced by ShowNet and courtesy of LONGINES, the official timekeeper of the Hampton Classic. They are also shown on the USEF Network. In addition, WVVH-TV, the official Long Island television station of the Hampton Classic, broadcasts up to five hours of competition and highlights each day during the Classic. These broadcasts can also be seen on line at www.wvvh.tv.  Most of the Classic's other classes are also available on ShowNet.biz. 

Further information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show is available at the Hampton Classic website at www.hamptonclassic.com  or by calling 631-537-3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.

 

   
Juan-Carlos Capelli, vice president of Longines (second left), and Hampton Classic Executive Director Shanette Cohen presented a Longines timepiece to Paul O'Shea, winner of the $40,000 Longines Cup at the Hampton Classic.
(McMillen photo)