Takeichi Nishi

A master of equestrian sports. Born in Tokyo, he was the son of Baron Nishi Tokujiro. He participated in the 10th Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1932 (Showa 7) (he was a cavalry lieutenant at the time). On the final day of the Grand Prize Show Jumping event, Nishi rode his beloved horse Uranus, and, after other representatives from other countries had failed one after another, he beautifully jumped 19 obstacles to win. The Japanese record for a single high-altitude jump of 2.10 meters, which he set the previous year on Irish Boy (an Irish hunter breed), remains unbroken to this day. After participating in the Berlin Games, he was posted to Manchuria. In 1944, he was deployed to Iou Island as the commander of the 26th Tank Regiment. It is said that he cut off the mane of Uranus and took it with him. In February 1945, the US military began its landing operation. In the midst of the fierce battle, the US military repeatedly called on Nishi to surrender, out of respect for the hero of the Los Angeles Games. He died in battle in March of the same year. Posthumously, he was made a colonel. After the war, his widow donated the whip (which he had used at the Olympics) that was left at her home to the Hermes Foundation (Los Angeles) at his request.

[Tsuneo Ishii]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

馬術競技の名手。東京都出身で男爵西徳二郎の子。1932年（昭和7）の第10回オリンピック・ロサンゼルス大会に出場（当時騎兵中尉）。最終日の大賞典障害飛越競技に愛馬ウラヌス号を駆って、各国代表が次々と失敗したあとを受け、19個の障害をみごとに飛越して優勝した。前年の31年にアイリッシュ・ボーイ号（アイルランド産ハンター種）に騎乗して出した2メートル10の単一高度障害飛越の日本記録は、現在でも破られていない。ベルリン大会出場後、満州に赴任。44年硫黄(いおう)島守備の戦車第26連隊長として出陣。ウラヌス号のたてがみを切って持参したという。45年2月米軍の上陸作戦が開始。激戦下、米軍はロサンゼルス大会の英雄を愛惜する意から、再三、西に投降を呼びかけた。同年3月戦死。死後大佐。戦後、未亡人は、自宅に残されたむち（オリンピックのとき愛用）を、要請によりヘルメス財団（ロサンゼルス）に寄贈した。

［石井恒男］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例