Gladstone, New Jersey –January 16, 2002—The United States Equestrian Team (USET) mourns the passing of Bertalan de Nemethy, legendary USET Show Jumping Coach from 1955 to 1980 who passed away on January 16, 2002 at the age of 90.

Under de Nemethy’s guidance, USET Show Jumping teams won Silver Medals at the 1960 Rome Olympics and 1972 Munich Olympics. de Nemethy’s teams were also Pan American Games team Gold Medalists in 1959, 1963, 1975 and 1979. Individual Pan American Games Medals won while de Nemethy was coach were by Mary Mairs Chapot in 1963 and Michael Matz in 1979.

In all de Nemethy-coached teams competed in 144 Nations Cups, winning almost half: 71. His individual riders also won 72 international grand prix and over 400 international classes around the world. The most notable of the individual victories was Bill Steinkraus’s Gold Medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games and Neal Shapiro’s Individual Bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics. His teams won the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) President’s Trophy in 1966 and 1968.

de Nemethy was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1987, a member of the charter class along with Bill Steinkraus and the legendary jumper, Idle Dice.

A former Hungarian cavalry officer and riding instructor at the Royal Hungarian Cavalry School, de Nemethy came to the U.S. in 1952. He is credited with originating a strict training regimen for American riders that emphasized dressage and gymnastics.

Additionally, de Nemethy was a noted course designer who planned the show jumping courses for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and 1989 Tampa World Cup Finals. He also conducted many training clinics in England, Ireland, Switzerland, Holland, Hungary, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela and Columbia.

Dr. Armand Leone, Jr., USET President, commented, “The USET is deeply saddened by the loss of Bertalan de Nemethy. Bert was not only a mentor and coach, but also a friend whose genius enabled so many to enjoy the wonder of horses. I will greatly miss him.”

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, January 22 at 5:00 pm at the Selby Gardens in Sarasota, FL.