LI Teen Equestrian Wins Prestigious Award At Hampton Classic

EASTPORT, NY — An Eastport-South Manor Jr.-Sr. High School student has made her hometown proud.

Sadie Berkhout, a junior, was awarded at the Hampton Classic with the prestigious Long Island Sportsmanship Award this summer, the district said. The Board of Education presented Sadie with a certificate of commendation during its Sept. 13 public meeting.

Sadie rides at Northern Ridge Stables in Water Mill under the direction of trainer Merry Harding. Harding’s horse Tully has served as the "perfect riding partner for Sadie and has taken her to the top of her sport," the district said.

Sadie has been riding for 13 years and in that time has "clinched some impressive titles," such as 2021 Zone 3 champion (three-foot fences) in the younger children’s hunter division and the 2022 Zone 2 champion in the junior hunter division (three-foot, three-inch fences). This past winter, Sadie was also circuit champion in the older junior division at the Winter Equestrian Festival with Tully, a grey Dutch Warmblood, and competed at the Hampton Classic with Tully and two other client horses, the district said.

Sadie plans on competing this fall in the upcoming Capitol Challenge in Maryland, the nationals in Pennsylvania and the Washington International Horse Show. During the winter months, Sadie trains in Palm Beach, Florida, for nine weeks, where she attends a tutoring academy to keep up with her schoolwork, the district said.

In addition to riding, Sadie is an avid lacrosse player and takes Advanced Placement courses at the junior-senior high school. Her plans for the future include the continuation of her sport and possibly applying to one of the nation’s colleges that offer an equine studies program.

Photo caption: Eastport-South Manor Jr.-Sr. High School student and Hampton Classis LI Sportsmanship Award winner Sadie Berkhout is pictured with, left, Board of Education Vice President Cristina Costanza and, right, President James Governali.