left:Ringmaster Alan Keeley works assists judges and officials in the arena; right: The ringside tent is set up with over one hundred decorated tables.
While judging horseback events—hunter classics, speed derbies, show jumping—are principle activities of the Hampton Classic, there’s another annual competition at the horse show—one for which Cottages & Gardens awards the trophies. Every year for the final Grand Prix afternoon, patrons buy charity tables for entertaining guest spectators and decorate them elaborately. Again this year, HC&G editor Kendell Cronstrom surveyed the settings and picked out three winners.
Scalamandre combined striped fabric with zebra stripes
Scalamandre accented the table with bouquets of white roses and hydrangeas
Scalamandre used the iconic Gino’s zebra print fabric for the table designed for Hamptons Cottages & Gardens
Not to be immodest—but if we weren’t ineligible, our own Cottages & Gardens table would have been a strong contender. Devised by Scalamandre, it wittily substituted zebras for horses—zebras belong to the horse family, after all— and used the iconic pattern the firm has re-created from the walls of the late lamented Gino’s restaurant across the street from Bloomingdale’s, which for years served up pasta and lasagna amidst walls papered with the galloping equines of the African savannas. Scalamandre’s striking table included bouquets of white roses, hydrangeas and giveaway bags bearing the same leaping zebra motif.
Second runner up, the Spy Coast Farm table showed restrained elegance with a punch of color
But with C&G out of the running, Cronstrom selected some worthy entries. Second runner up was Spy Coast Farm, which ignored the equine theme and set a simple stylish table covered with a black and white toile cloth with striking violet and purple napkins, roses and chair seat accents.
left: Pilatus Aircraft was awarded Second Place for its clever airplane theme; right: Pilatus Aircraft provided a “stewardess” to pamper guests
Pilatus Aircraft‘s clever and creative entry, playing up the company’s airplane theme, took second place. Each setting included a little red travel bag sitting beside a red plastic compartmentalized “tray table.” Wearing a red beret, scarf and skirt, a “stewardess” was on hand to wait on guests.
First Place Winner Firefly Farm set out elegant silver bowls and trays of cherries, figs, eggplant
Topiaries and studded chairs added to the elegant effect of Firefly Farm
First place was awarded to Firefly Farm‘s opulent display of silver plates and bowls brimming with rich figs, cherries and eggplant.
Every year themes prevail among the more than one hundred creations. Several designers develop the appropriate horse motif—Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley’s centerpiece, a top hat copper jumper weathervane, was purchased at the auction of artifacts from Tavern on the Green. Dolores Zebrowski’s weathervane was weathered wood. Bard Theater enclosed napkins in figurine rings of jumping horses, Tosh Enterprises featured a rocking horse and Hitchcock/Lindgrin anchored their table with a colorful horse piñata.
Hamptons Classic President Dennis Suskind attended the event
Others played on the theme of the horse show itself —Nicolock featured “The Joint Is Jumpin'” plates and Callan Solem Show Stables hung giant prize ribbons from the chairbacks. Wambold Press used “Hamptons Classic” jigsaw puzzles as placemats and Holzer made placemats out of tickets from last year’s show. The horse figure on Gundlach/Weiss’s table was blanketed in Hamptons Classic buttons. On another hand, Tony Rosalia’s table figured horses-be-darned — the centerpiece was a giant rooster.
Company logos make good subjects. Champagne Louis Roederer and Wolffer Estate and Vineyards both featured bottles of their beverages. American Eurocopter set a mini helicopter on each plate. Tiffany-blue boxes, orange Hermes bags and Elliman tote bags were iconic props. David Yurman with bamboo fans and simple stone place cards, and Mosquito Squad’s meditating Buddha added notes of serenity.
Leat/Byorum Good’s Delft table included transparent boxes of blue jellybeans at each place while Equinimity LLC offered big glass canisters of penny candy. On the healthier side, Prudential set out baskets of vegetables, and big glass jars of tangerines, lemons, apples and grapes marched down the center of the Red Oak Farm table. Southampton Hospital balanced bright red apples on silver stands—fruit perhaps intended to “keep the doctor away.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Diana Taylor attend to last minute details on their tables
Flowers are always a gorgeous motif. Bloomberg’s orange and coral theme worked around bouquets of zinnias and yellow roses. Morgan massed classic white daisies and Bridgehampton Florist was an extravaganza of lavender and blue. Hydrangeas are plentiful at this time of year, the Benihana Family paired pink blossoms with pink macaroons, Wambold Press filled a cast iron horse figure with dried blossoms, and Swan Creek Farm filled a “jump” with blue ones while Corcoran draped a banner of them across the table and down the sides.
We salute the ingenuity of all the decorators—singling out “winners” isn’t easy—so many of them are fanciful and creative. See if you recognize the ones we’ve mentioned and pick out your own favorites from the slide show that follows.
