Mikala Münter (USA) brought two mounts to CDI Ocala for the test in the Intermediate II 2* on Sunday, April 14, 2024. She and Der Schufro won with 68.529%, while MSJ Charmer finished second on 66.167%. Both horses are owned by Swiss rider Barbara Bertschinger.
Bertschinger's MSJ Charmer
Mikala Münter has been working with student, Swiss Barbara Bertschinger with both Der Schufro and “Charmer” for two years. The horses have traveled between Switzerland in the summers and Florida in the winters, but with them getting closer and preparing for the Grand Prix level, the horses will stay in Florida this summer with Münter.
Münter started consistently riding Charmer in November 2023. “I’m so impressed with this horse,” she said of the 10-year-old KWPN gelding by Charmeur x Danone . “He’s so big and powerful. Riding his canter is just amazing. He’s so uphill, and he can sit. It was really fun to ride.”
MSJ Charmer is bred by Emma Blundell of Mount St. John in the U.K. and sold as a foal to Charlotte Dujardin. She then sold half to Verity Jenner and the horse was first competed by her assister Rob Barker, before Charlotte took place in the saddle herself in 2019. She only competed him for one season, after which she sold Charmer.
My Lady and Farbentanz
The Danish born Mikala Münter is based in Wellington, FL, and runs her own stable Bell Tower Farm. She had her big break in her career thanks to sponsor, Danish born American Janne Rumbough.
Janne bought the Danish warmblood mare My Lady (by Michellino for Mikala to ride. Trained by Ernst Hoyos, the pair went on to represent Denmark at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, France, the 2015 European Dressage Championships in Aachen, Germany, and at the 2014 and 2015 World Cup Finals in Lyon and Las Vegas.
After My Lady's retirement, Munter convinced Rumbough to go for a second adventure and Rumbough agreed to buy Farbentanz from Kevin Kohmann for Munter to ride. Janne's condition was for Mikala to switch to U.S. nationality, which she did. Sadly the horse did not follow in My Lady's footsteps. Rumbough sold the horse back to dealer Kohmann in 2020, who resold it as a small tour schoolmaster for Eva Channell to ride.
Since then Münter has Bertschinger as major client.
The Swiss Connection
“They’re both green, and we don’t want to push them too much,” said Münter. “The I-2 is such a good test to go and get your feet wet and give the horses the experience in the big show ring. They have done that three times now in different arenas without the pressure of going in the grand prix.”
“He felt really good today,” said Münter of Der Schufro, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Der Designer x Jimmie Choo Seq. “One thing that I felt in both horses because it’s Sunday and they have been here since Tuesday, is they’re a little bit tired. If I had ridden a couple days ago, we may have had more spice in there. I’m super proud of Der Schufro for going into the big stadium and doing everything with only a few little mistakes. We don’t know each other well enough in the ring to have those little things together yet.”
Weekend Winners
Allison Zarembowicz (USA) topped the Intermediate I Freestyle 1* with Happy Khan, her 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Zjengis Khan x Jazz, with 64.875%. It was their second freestyle together and their seventh CDI class.
In the Children Individual class, Miriam Bacon (USA) and Drambuie, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Damsey x Lauries Crusador xx owned by Natalie Bacon, scored 72.431%.
Riding Virtual Story Ymas, a Oldenburg gelding by Vitalis x Don Primero owned by Yeguada de Ymas S.L., Natalia Bacariza Danguillecourt (ESP) won the 7 Year Olds Final test with 71.900%
In the 5 Year Old Finals test, Alice Tarjan (USA) and Orado, her KWPN mare by Desperado x Johnson, scored 84%
-- WEC press release, edited by Eurodressage - Photos © Andrew Ryback
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