Danish Team Rider Mikala Münter Competes Internationally for First Time as American
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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 18, 2019–Mikala Münter, a team rider for Denmark, competed in her first international competition as an American Friday, an experience she described as making her “feel part of the community” in Wellington.
Mikala, 50 years old, rode Salsa Hit at the Gold Coast Opener CDI2* Prix St. Georges that was also the first international competition for the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding.
Mikala, the mother of two children, has lived in Florida for 15 years and became an American citizen three months ago. She retained her Danish citizenship.
The ride on Salsa Hit “felt really good,” she said of the result of 68.265 per cent that placed the pair fourth behind Ashley Holzer, who switched almost two years ago to riding for the United States after a career competing for Canada that included four Olympics.
“He is still very green but with lots of talent,” said Mikala.
“I always felt welcome here in Wellington but now I feel like I’m part of the community!”
Mikala had the most competition success on My Lady, a Danish Warmblood mare owned by former Dane Janne Rumbough, a longtime resident of Palm Beach, Florida and active amateur rider. My Lady was retired in May, 2017.
Mikala and My Lady won more than $200,000 on Wellington’s Global Dressage Festival winter circuit. In addition to riding for Denmark at the 2014 WEG and 2015 Europeans, the pair competed at the World Cup Finals in Lyon, France in 2014 and Las Vegas in 2015 as well as four Danish championships and five Nations Cups on both sides of the Atlantic.
Lars Petersen, an Olympic, World Games and World Cup competitor for Denmark who first moved to the United States more than 35 years ago, became an American citizen in 2016 and a year later opted to ride under the U.S. flag. He trains some Danish team riders, including Daniel Bachmann Andersen, at Denmark’s Blue Hors stud.
