Equestrian Life Hamptons in the
Juliette Jimenez at an estate in Water Mill with her pony and a vintage Mercedes-Benz
“ The pristine nature. Unlike other popular resorts, the Hamptons maintains its elegance, its ties with the past, and its original natural beauty.
”
—Martha Stewart
Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk offers horseback trail rides to the beach
Top from left to right: Farrier Dean Fritscher working on a horse’s shoe; Blue Carreon with horse, Escobar; Maria and Kenneth Fishel host polo matches at their estate in Bridgehampton every summer
Middle from left to right: Raquel Lopez at the Sagaponack Horse Show; Door signage right outside the indoor ring at Two Crows; A braided horse
Bottom from left to right: Horse-and-rider crossing signs as seen throughout the Hamptons; An array of horse shoes; Horse trainer Benjamin Tula and wife Nicole Parise-Tula with horse Calandra enjoying a blooming spring day
In the autumn when garden centers like Marders switch out their pots of lavender and roses for pumpkins and mums, most of the riders will start putting their horses in trailers to ship them to Wellington, Florida, in anticipation of the Winter Equestrian Festival. At the Topping Riding Club, Mercedes Olivieri prepares for the fall derby competition. It’s the last hurrah, and perhaps the most fun of the local horse shows because it is reminiscent of the hunts that were once the ultimate hobby of the Hamptons’ leisure class. Riders go through a series of obstacles that include rails and fences; and brush, water and ditch jumps making for excellent spectating.
Those who stay behind, those who call this place home, however, become witnesses to nature’s beautiful handiwork in the Hamptons. A rhythm of life that cannot be hastened. The leaves on the trees turning into vivid shades of ochre, orange, and russet at peak fall weather. The dappled
natural light bathing trail riders in a magnificent glow—a glorious radiant effect that no filter can recreate.
In the winter after a snowfall, the grazing paddocks and rings are blanketed in the white sugar-like confection. The hedge jumps are dusted with powder. A winter wonderland if there ever was one, with the wide, open spaces enveloped in snow. The whiteness broken in parts by evergreen trees and bright blue skies. Riding is moved indoors and horses and riders both don layers to ward off temperatures that can go below freezing. In April, when the daffodils start blooming and the apple trees are bursting with constellations of pink buds, the horses and riders emerge from the indoor rings. And those who left for warmer climes make their way back to the Hamptons for another season of horses, horse shows, and long summer days.
Top from left to far right: Ellie Hunter with her horse, Steel The Blue; Babi Herrera; Sara Horowitz with her horse, Will; Jessica Koenigsberg-Wurpel with daughter Megan Koenigsberg and their horse, Quadrant Bottom from left to far right: Gigi Tang with her horse, Cabrius; Lois Vass with Dream Lady; Micaela Batto
Lisa Ellis with her three horses, C’est La Vie, Je Suis, and Verne Xequoia
The wood-paneled lobby of Bright Side Farm
Khalily Stables in Water Mill, formerly Campbell Stables, has striking architectural features designed by DH Murray Architecture
A groom brings in horses from their paddocks at Northern Ridge Stables at Sea Horse
