Bertalan de Némethy
Encyclopedia
Bertalan de Némethy was a cavalry
officer in Hungary
and later became the show jumping
coach for the United States Equestrian Team
. Additionally, he was extremely influential in developing many of the riding and training methods used by show jumpers today.
, and graduated in 1932 with the rank of lieutenant. He then entered the cavalry, riding six horses each day at the school, beginning with dressage
horses, before having a lesson on the longe
without stirrups, and then riding young horses cross-country
. In 1937 he became an instructor.
De Némethy's skill as a rider was exceptional, but he lost his opportunity for competition at the Olympics due to the cancellation of the 1940 Games. Instead, de Némethy was sent to train at the German cavalry school in Hanover, the first Hungarian officer to do so. There he was taught by the likes of Otto Lörke, Fritz Stecken, and Bubi Günther. He also learned the German system of training horses.
World War II forced de Némethy to return to Hungary, but as the Russian Army approached Budapest, he and his fellow cadets decided to flee yet again, this time, they went to Denmark. De Némethy remained in Copenhagen
for six years, employed as a riding instructor.
, and began teaching at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Tarrytown, New York. He later designed jumping courses for various horse show
s held in the region.
Coaching the US Show Jumping Team
In 1955, on the advice of William Steinkraus
and Arthur McCashin, de Némethy was asked by the United States Equestrian Team
to become the coach for the jumping
team. De Némethy accepted the position, holding it until 1980. During this time he trained some of the most famous competitors in the sport, including George H. Morris
, Joe Fargis, Frank Chapot
, Kathy Kusner, Leslie Burr, Conrad Homfeld
, Michael Matz
, Melanie Smith
, Neal Shapiro
, and William Steinkraus
.
He based his training on dressage
work, jumping grids, and longeing
, all of which was published in his classic book The de Némethy Method. While he was their coach, the U. S. Show Jumping Team won the team silver at the 1960 and 1972 Olympics, the 1968 individual gold, and the 1972 individual bronze. Additionally, all four riders on the 1984 gold medal-winning team had been trained by de Némethy.
Additionally, his teams won the team gold medal at the Pan American Games
in 1959, 1963, 1975, and 1979. His teams won 71 out of the 144 Nations Cups in which they competed, as well as the FEI
President's Trophy in 1966 and 1968. His riders individually won 72 International Grand Prixs and more than 400 international classes.
After coaching the U. S. Team, de Némethy was much sought-after as a course designer. He was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1987.
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and later became the show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
coach for the United States Equestrian Team
United States Equestrian Team
The United States Equestrian Team, or USET, was founded in 1950 at the Coates estate on van Beuren Road in Morristown, New Jersey, and is the international equestrian team for the United States...
. Additionally, he was extremely influential in developing many of the riding and training methods used by show jumpers today.
Years in Europe
De Némethy began riding as a child in Gyor, Hungary, the son of a governor who controlled three of the nineteen states. He began competing in show jumping in his teens. Due to his uncle's employment as a cavalry officer, de Némethy attended the Military Academy of Ludovica, in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, and graduated in 1932 with the rank of lieutenant. He then entered the cavalry, riding six horses each day at the school, beginning with dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
horses, before having a lesson on the longe
Longeing
Longeing or lungeing is a technique for training horses, where a horse is asked to work at the end of a long line and respond to commands from a handler on the ground who holds the line. It is also a critical component of the sport of equestrian vaulting...
without stirrups, and then riding young horses cross-country
Cross-country equestrianism
Cross country equestrian jumping is an endurance test, and is one of the three phases of the sport of eventing; it may also be a competition in its own right, known as hunter trials or simply "cross-country" - these tend to be lower level, local competitions.The object of the endurance test is to...
. In 1937 he became an instructor.
De Némethy's skill as a rider was exceptional, but he lost his opportunity for competition at the Olympics due to the cancellation of the 1940 Games. Instead, de Némethy was sent to train at the German cavalry school in Hanover, the first Hungarian officer to do so. There he was taught by the likes of Otto Lörke, Fritz Stecken, and Bubi Günther. He also learned the German system of training horses.
World War II forced de Némethy to return to Hungary, but as the Russian Army approached Budapest, he and his fellow cadets decided to flee yet again, this time, they went to Denmark. De Némethy remained in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
for six years, employed as a riding instructor.
Move to the United States
In 1952, U. S. Embassy permitted de Némethy to emigrate and he became a citizen in 1958. He moved to Far Hills, New JerseyFar Hills, New Jersey
Far Hills is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 919.Far Hills was incorporated as a borough based on an Act of the New Jersey Legislature passed on April 7, 1921, from portions of Bernards Township, subject to the results...
, and began teaching at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Tarrytown, New York. He later designed jumping courses for various horse show
Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
s held in the region.
Coaching the US Show Jumping Team
In 1955, on the advice of William Steinkraus
William Steinkraus
William Clark Steinkraus is an American show jumping champion.-Olympic Record:Steinkraus participated in 5 Olympic Games. At the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City, he won a gold medal in Individual Jumping with the horse Snowbound. He obtained two silver medals in Team Jumping, first in...
and Arthur McCashin, de Némethy was asked by the United States Equestrian Team
United States Equestrian Team
The United States Equestrian Team, or USET, was founded in 1950 at the Coates estate on van Beuren Road in Morristown, New Jersey, and is the international equestrian team for the United States...
to become the coach for the jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
team. De Némethy accepted the position, holding it until 1980. During this time he trained some of the most famous competitors in the sport, including George H. Morris
George H. Morris
George H. Morris is an American trainer and judge of horses and riders in the hunter and jumper disciplines. He is considered a "founding father" of Hunt Seat Equitation. He also is the current chef d’equipe for the United States Equestrian Foundation, USEF, show jumping team.-Career:Morris began...
, Joe Fargis, Frank Chapot
Frank Chapot
Francis Davis "Frank" Chapot is an American equestrian who competed at six Olympic Games from 1956 to 1976, where he won two silver medals in the Team Mixed Jumping....
, Kathy Kusner, Leslie Burr, Conrad Homfeld
Conrad Homfeld
Conrad Homfeld is an American show jumping competitor and olympic champion.At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Homfeld won the gold medal as part of the United States team in Team jumping, with the horse Abdullah. He received a silver medal in Individual jumping.Born in Houston,...
, Michael Matz
Michael Matz
Michael Ray Matz is an American Olympic equestrian rider and horse trainer. He is perhaps most well known for having trained the ill-fated Barbaro to win the 132nd Kentucky Derby in 2006. The previously undefeated colt suffered a career and life ending injury after the start of the Preakness Stakes...
, Melanie Smith
Melanie Smith (equestrian)
Melanie Smith is an equestrian from the United States and Olympic champion. She won a gold medal in show jumping with the American team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.-References:...
, Neal Shapiro
Neal Shapiro
Neal B. Shapiro is the president of PBS station Thirteen/WNET New York City, installed in February 2007. He is the chief executive of the station's license holder, the Educational Broadcasting Corporation , which also operates the Long Island, New York, PBS outlet WLIW.- Life and Career :Shapiro...
, and William Steinkraus
William Steinkraus
William Clark Steinkraus is an American show jumping champion.-Olympic Record:Steinkraus participated in 5 Olympic Games. At the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City, he won a gold medal in Individual Jumping with the horse Snowbound. He obtained two silver medals in Team Jumping, first in...
.
He based his training on dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
work, jumping grids, and longeing
Longeing
Longeing or lungeing is a technique for training horses, where a horse is asked to work at the end of a long line and respond to commands from a handler on the ground who holds the line. It is also a critical component of the sport of equestrian vaulting...
, all of which was published in his classic book The de Némethy Method. While he was their coach, the U. S. Show Jumping Team won the team silver at the 1960 and 1972 Olympics, the 1968 individual gold, and the 1972 individual bronze. Additionally, all four riders on the 1984 gold medal-winning team had been trained by de Némethy.
Additionally, his teams won the team gold medal at the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
in 1959, 1963, 1975, and 1979. His teams won 71 out of the 144 Nations Cups in which they competed, as well as the FEI
FEI
FEI may refer to:* Financial Executives International , an American organization for senior-level financial executives* FEI Company, a supplier of electron microscopy tools...
President's Trophy in 1966 and 1968. His riders individually won 72 International Grand Prixs and more than 400 international classes.
After coaching the U. S. Team, de Némethy was much sought-after as a course designer. He was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1987.