Guy Vernor Henry Jr. | |
Birth Date: | 28 January 1875 |
Birth Place: | Fort Robinson, Nebraska, United States |
Death Place: | Wenatchee, Washington, United States |
Placeofburial: | Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States |
Allegiance: | United States |
Serviceyears: | 1898–1939 1941–1947 |
Rank: | Major General |
Unit: | Cavalry Branch |
Commands: | United States Army Cavalry School Fort Riley Fort Myer 7th Cavalry Brigade 3rd Cavalry Regiment |
Battles: | Spanish–American War Philippine–American War World War I World War II |
Awards: | Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Legion of Honour (France) Companion of the Order of the Bath (United Kingdom) |
Relations: | Guy V. Henry (father) |
Laterwork: | Olympic equestrian |
Major General Guy Vernor Henry Jr. (January 28, 1875 – November 29, 1967) was a senior officer in the United States Army and a noted horse rider who competed for the United States in the 1912 Summer Olympics.[1]
Guy V. Henry, Jr. was born into the military life. Son of Guy Vernor Henry, he went on to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1898,[2] and distinguished his military career by earning the Silver Star in 1899 during the Spanish–American War.
Henry went on to study at the French Cavalry School in Saumur and used the knowledge he gained there to change the treatment and training of United States Cavalry horses. This included starting horses not by "breaking" them using the traditional western methods, but by training them on the longe, then slowly teaching them to accept the weight of a human on their back. He also brought dressage methods from both the French and German schools, with a great deal of influence from Baucher, and as senior instructor of equitation at the Mounted Service School at Fort Riley he insisted in teaching new recruits to properly use the aids and promoted the European methods. Henry helped to institute the high level of horsemanship at Fort Riley, helping to develop farrier and veterinary programs which were to become required courses for cavalry lieutenants. He also got rid of the harsh curb bit used by the Cavalry, known as the Shoemaker bit, and replaced it with either the snaffle bit or the double bridle.
Henry competed in all three Olympic equestrian disciplines – dressage, eventing, and show jumping – for the United States during his years in the army. His most distinguished Olympic results occurred at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, where he won the bronze medal in the team eventing competition, finished 11th in the individual event, 4th in the team jumping competition, and 13th in the individual dressage competition, riding Chiswell.
Henry later served at Chef dÉquipe for the United States Teams from 1936 to 1948, was chairman on the Olympic Equestrian Committee from 1930 to 1960, and director of equestrian events at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.