Spanish Grand Prix rider Cristian Tudela Ruiz has decided on his future after Blue Hors and will be moving back home to Spain.
The 32-year old Tudela has been riding for Blue Hors in Denmark for almost 6 years but lost his job - like the majority of all staff - when the stud announced that it will be closing its doors on 1 April 2024.
Originally from the Murcia area in Spain, Ruiz got his dressage education at Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda under Enrique Cruces and then worked for Jose Antonia Garcia Mena for five years. In 2017 Cristian, his wife Maria Alba and daughter Sara moved to Denmark as he accepted a job at Helgstrand Dressage where he worked for two years before moving to Blue Hors. He also welcomed a second child, son Leo, with his wife while in Denmark.
Since the announcement of the closure of Blue Hors, Tudela began spending more time back in Spain in December 2023, teaching a clinic at Las Cadenas and celebrating the holidays with his family. He also secured the 15-year old Blue Hors Zick Flower (by Zack x Romanov) to continue his Grand Prix career with.
Tudela broke the rather unsurprising news on Instagram: "I will like to say thank you so much to Blue Hors for this amazing 5 years, it was a pleasure to be part of this team. Now it’s a very exciting moment to start my own business and I decided to do it in Spain together with my family, I have a lot of new horses and new projects, so I am really looking forward to start. After 7 years working in Denmark it’s time to go back to my country."
Photo © Astrid Appels
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