The January 2023 IALHA Calendar photo of Inesperado De Ruiz was taken by Molly Whittington Gengenbach
Inesperado De Ruiz is a 7-year-old imported Andalusian from the breeder Francisco De Ruiz. He was started and trained by Antonio Vazquez in Seville, Spain, and is the first sales horse Molly imported from Spain. “Inesperado arrived in the US just 2 weeks before the IALHA National Championships in 2019. I decided to take him just to get some show experience. He thrived and was a superstar there despite the cold weather that year. He was sold to Crystal Flores who showed him very successfully to 3rd level and was IALHA National Champion in 2021. I loved “Espi” so much that I cried for a week when I sold him. My husband, tired of seeing me so upset, then bought his brother from the same breeder for me. His name is Kurt AR and his image was chosen for last year’s IALHA calendar! Inesperado De Ruiz is now owned and loved by Darlene Preston who bought him in 2022. We look forward to seeing Darlene and Inesperado compete together at IALHA Nationals in 2023.”
Molly Gengenbach of Tailwinds International and Tailwinds Farm has been importing, riding, competing and training Swedish WB dressage horses for over 35 yrs. Before that she was a jockey and exercise rider for the Hall of fame trainer Jack Van Berg on Thoroughbred racehorses for 15 years. “In the past 4 years I have become involved and fallen in love with the Andalusian and Lusitano breeds of horses. I work with breeders and top trainers in Spain to match horses with American and Canadian owners and riders. It has been a sheer joy to meet new friends this way and to facilitate their dreams with these lovely horses.”
