Ronnie Mutch (1935–1999)

Ronnie Mutch was a life-long horseman. An early student of Gordon Wright and Al Homewood, Mutch won the AHSA Medal Finals in 1950 at the age of 15. At 18, he was the youngest rider at the time to ride for the USET.

Also a life-long artist, Mutch attended the University of Virginia and upon graduation studied at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. He spent the following 12 years of his life working in advertising as an art director and copywriter for various New York Agencies. He graduated to the role of creative director before establishing his own firm; Mutch, Haverman and Howard. Throughout the latter part of the 1960's, Mutch commuted from Connecticut to Madison Avenue and kept horses as a secondary pursuit.

By 1970, Mutch had returned to the horses full time and with his second wife, Sue Bauer, established one of the most successful show jumping stables in the country, Nimrod Farm in Weston, Connecticut. Mutch and Bauer trained seven national equitation winners and numerous 'Horse of the Year' award winning hunters like Holy Smoke and 20th Century, Ltd. In 1978, 28 years after Mutch and won the AHSA Medal Finals, Mutch's son, Bert, won the Medal Finals. Ronnie and Bert Mutch are the only father and son combination to have won the Medal Finals.

In 1983, Mutch left Nimrod to again pursue his artistic side. From 1983 until his death. Mutch was the creative director for Miller's Harness Company and was responsible for the design of advertising campaigns and catalogs. Mutch also remained active in the horse world as a trainer and judge. He will also be remembered for his many cartoons about horses in his book, Mutch About Horses