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C H R O N O F H O R S E . C O M S U M M E R 2 014 17 Instagram Spotlight: The Hampton Classic Just like Christmas, the Hampton Classic comes but once a year, but you can follow along with the historic horse show's progress even in the off-season at Instagram.com/ HamptonClassic. With haunting photos of the iconic showgrounds in winter, progress reports on ren- ovations and upgrades, and glimpses into the behind-the-scenes ef- forts that go on year- round to put on this competition every Au- gust, it will give you a whole new appreciation for the Bridgehampton, N.Y., tradition. And don't forget to follow the Chronicle as well, at Instagram.com/ chronofhorse. Dogs, sure. Cats, of course. Even a potbelly pig isn't that out of the ordinary as a barn pet. But at John Madden Sales in Cazenovia, N.Y., there's a much pricklier compan- ion scuttling up and down the aisles. "I wanted something that was low-maintenance and unique. My schedule could change at any time—I never really know what my day is going to be like, or I could get sent to Europe at the last minute," explained assistant trainer Becky Huestis. "Someone told me hedgehogs were great pets, and I found a place in Niagara Falls that breeds them." So last October, Huestis got Quinn, a now 1-year-old pinto hedgehog. The little lady has since been to Florida for the winter, made friends (sort of) with the barn dogs and met the stable's top equine star, Simon. "The dogs don't know what to do with her because she's so little," Huestis said. "But she has a Napoleon Simon, Beezie Mad- den's 2013 Rolex FEI Show Jumping World Cup Final winner, greets his barnmate at John Madden Sales, Quinn the hedgehog. John Madden Sales: A Haven For Hedgehogs complex; they come close, and she'll put her spines up and hiss, or she'll ball up into this armor of quills. The first time the dog Rosie tried to play with her, she got poked and then rolled Quinn across the floor, because she was all balled up." When not in her cage, Quinn enjoys burrowing in Huestis' hair or curling up in the hood or pocket of a sweatshirt. "If don't keep your eye on them when they're loose, they'll burrow somewhere, and then it's like playing hide-and-seek with a hedgehog," she admitted. And Quinn has other pastimes too. "She has a schedule," Huestis said. "She's up at 3 o'clock every morning running on her wheel. She flies on that thing—she re- ally runs. She's training for some sort of hedgehog Tough Mudder or something. Then she eats a little bit, then she runs again. It's like having a guinea pig, but cooler." PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKY HUESTIS

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