Alexandre Tehfi
Birth Date: November 26, 1998
Founder & Owner:
Tiwona – Taller de Cerámica Barcelona
TR – Taller de Cerámica Barcelona
Momento – Pottery Studio
My Story
Since childhood, I’ve carried a restless spirit and an unshakable connection with animals. I didn’t always know that horses and ceramics would become the two forces defining my life. My journey has been one of discipline, creativity, and perseverance — a constant effort to build a life where art and sport sustain each other.
2014: A New Beginning in Arizona
In 2014, my parents made a life-changing decision: they sent me to a boarding school in the heart of Arizona. I resisted it at first — being far from home, surrounded by strangers — but destiny works in quiet ways. There, I discovered two things that would change my life: horses and clay.
In those first six months, I sat at a potter’s wheel and climbed onto a horse for the first time. What started as distraction became passion. That was the moment the dream began.
Belle & Zeke
At the beginning, I was afraid of horses. I remember one in particular — a horse nobody dared ride because he’d throw everyone off. I was scared even to feed him an apple.
Gradually, I learned to trust. I was assigned Belle, a Spanish Mustang who became my first teacher. She taught me patience, confidence, and balance. Later came Zeke, the first horse I truly loved. With him I discovered groundwork — the art of communication between horse and human — and understood what partnership really means.
2018: Falling in Love with Dressage
By early 2018, when I had to say goodbye to Zeke, I was already completely in love with dressage. I told my parents I wanted to pursue it professionally. It wasn’t lack of support — it was simply that we didn’t have the resources. Dressage is an extremely expensive sport, and at that point, it was beyond our reach.
So I decided to find my own way. I traveled for a year, working wherever I could and collecting experiences — even crossing borders on horseback in South Africa. I learned, failed, and kept going.
2020: Working to Make It Happen
Back in Mexico, I worked as a real-estate agent, just to see if I could fund my horse training. Every peso I earned — and some help from my dad — went into rescuing Zorro, a neglected ex-racehorse I found in terrible shape.
That year I took about 20 dressage lessons, each one paid for through hard work. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep the fire alive.
2021–2023: Lessons in Failure and Growth
Between 2021 and 2023, I failed more times than I can count — but I never stopped trying. Across those three years, I managed to take 20–30 more lessons and learn from every one of them. I realized that persistence was the only path forward.
Then, in 2023, I took the biggest leap of my life.
2023: Becoming My Own Sponsor
With savings and partial help from my father, I decided to create my own path — literally. I founded Tiwona – Taller de Cerámica Barcelona, a ceramics studio that became the foundation for everything that followed.
Tiwona was built with my own hands, piece by piece, with one goal in mind: to sponsor my dream of becoming a professional dressage rider. I worked every single day, including holidays, balancing clay and competition.
Over time, the dream grew. I opened two more studios:
- TR – Taller de Cerámica Barcelona, a creative hub dedicated to craftsmanship and community.
- Momento – Pottery Studio, my flagship space — a stunning shop and working studio where I personally teach most afternoons, surrounded by a team of talented instructors who share my passion for clay and creativity.
Today, my studios are not only thriving businesses — they are my sponsors, the pillars that sustain my equestrian training. Every piece of art I create brings me one step closer to my goal in sport.
2024: My First Horse, My First Competitions
In August 2024, I bought a young horse, a colt we started from zero together with my trainer. His education has been slow and patient, always prioritizing trust and respect.
That same year, I entered my first dressage competition, earning second place on my debut with school horses. It was proof that effort — no matter how long it takes — always finds its reward.
2025: High-Performance Training at PS Equestrian
In 2025, I joined PS Equestrian, training under Patricia Sánchez, an international Grand Prix dressage competitor and one of Spain’s top riders. The program is demanding, focused, and built for performance.
My colt is now in full training, progressing well. As my first competition horse, there are mistakes — but every one of them is met with patience, consistency, and love.
I plan to continue training at PS Equestrian for as long as my finances, body, and circumstances allow.
What will never change is my resolve:
I will try — or I will die trying. There is no other way.
The Dream Continues
Today, I live between two worlds — the artistry of ceramics and the precision of dressage. My businesses allow me to sponsor my own path, and my path continues to inspire the work I create.
If these years have taught me anything, it’s that passion has no limits.
When it’s strong enough, you find a way — you build it with your own hands.