Harry deLeyer

Harry E. deLeyer (September 21, 1927 – June 25, 2021) was a Dutch-American competitive show jumper. He is most famous for rescuing an old plow horse from the slaughterhouse, and a few years later winning national shows with that same horse, which became the most famous horse in America in the 1950s. The horse, Snowman, was eventually inducted into United States Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1992.

Early life in Holland Harry deLeyer (pronounced deh-LAY-er) was born in Sint-Oedenrode, Netherlands in 1927. Also, at night, Harry would ride out on horseback, looking for wounded pilots.

Emigration to the United States One pilot that Harry found died soon after he was brought back to the farm. The deLeyers buried him, and sent his dog tags back to his parents in North Carolina. In 1950 the pilot's parents sponsored Harry and his wife to come live in the United States.

The press and the public loved Snowman, and his rags to riches story. In 1959 deLeyer and Snowman once again took the Blue Ribbon at Madison Square Garden, and Snowman was again named "Horse of the Year." and the book Snowman: The True Story of a Champion by Catherine Hapka (Author), Rutherford Montgomery (Draft Writer)(2016).

They were also the subjects of a 2015 documentary Harry and Snowman, which includes extensive interviews with deLeyer.