de NÉMETHY, Bertalan 1911-2002

PERSONAL:

Born February 24, 1911, in Gyor, Hungary; immigrated to the United States, 1952; naturalized U.S. citizen, 1958; died of pneumonia, January 16, 2002, in Sarasota, FL; father, a governor; married; wife's name Emily (died, 1997); children: Christine Ranelli (stepdaughter). Education: Graduate of a Hungarian cavalry academy.

CAREER:

Royal Hungarian Cavalry School, equestrian show-jumper in Europe and riding instructor; worked as a riding instructor in Denmark prior to 1952; U.S. Equestrian Team, Gladstone, NJ, coach and trainer, 1955-80; became coach of a U.S. show-jumping team, 1980. Member of equestrian team for Olympic Games, 1940; designer of jumping courses, including the course for the Olympic Games, 1984; presented clinics throughout the world.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Elected charter member, Show Jumping Hall of Fame, Tampa, FL, 1987; Lifetime Achievement Award, American Horse Shows Association (now USA Equestrian), 1992.

WRITINGS:

Classic Show Jumping: The de Némethy Method (also published as The de Némethy Method: Modern Techniques for Training the Show Jumper and Its Rider), photographs by Alix Coleman, illustrated by Heather St. Clair Davis, Doubleday and Co. (New York, NY), 1988.

ADAPTATIONS:

A series of instructional videotapes were developed based on de Némethy's book.

OBITUARIES:

PERIODICALS

New York Times, January 26, 2002, obituary by Frank Litsky, p. A15.

ONLINE

HorseWeb,http://www.horseweb.com/ (January 16, 2002).

USA Equestrian,http://www.equestrian.org/ (January 16, 2002).*