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2023 MOROCCO ROYAL TOUR
El Jadida
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CSI4* World Cup Grand Prix
of His Majesty King Mohammed VI
Gaudiano, with Nicolaj de Music, won the World Cup Grand Prix of His Majesty King Mohammed VI achieving the same feat as Abdelkebir Ouaddar last year who took both the Grand Prix of Tétouan and El Jadida.
Round-Off Graphics by Chiara Milani | IHP
On Sunday morning the outskirts of Storm Bernard hit the Salon du Cheval d’El Jadida. Once it was over, with horses and people all safe, the CSI4* 1.55m World Cup Grand Prix of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, highlight of the concluding third leg of the Morocco Royal Tour, took place in the beautiful ‘blue hall.’
Final Rankings
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0.00-0.00 | 32.00 sec.
2 by Simona Diale and R&B Presse Edited Releases
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wenty-four amazing riders made it to Sunday after qualifying in the Grand Prix MAPM/SOREC, qualifier for the Grand Prix
(which also counts toward the world rankings) with 11 making it to the jump-off.
Emanuele Gaudiano Nikolaj de Music
Cyril Cools Milton Z
0.00-0.00 | 33.89 sec.
3
Olivier Robert Careca Ls Elite
0.00-0.00 | 34.24 sec.
A crowd favorite in Morocco, Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano and the talented Nicolaj de Music (Kannan x Nabab de
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Jérôme Guery Enjoy d'Eole
0.00-0.00 | 35.02 sec.
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Barbara Schnieper Canice
0.00-0.00 | 35.24 sec.
6
Charlotte Philippe Electro Vd Kromsteeg Z
0.00-0.00 | 35.50 sec.
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Katharina Rhomberg Colestus Cambridge
0.00-0.00 | 36.21 sec.
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El Ghali Boukaa A Kyss
0.00-4.00 | 34.61 sec.
9
Andre Thieme Conacco
0.00-4.00 | 34.89 sec.
10
Jessica Burke Express Trend
0.00-4.00 | 36.34 sec.
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Virginie Thonon Edgard de Prefontaine
0.00-8.00 | 34.79 sec. Emanuele Gaudiano & Nicolaj de Music © International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com Click here for Full Results
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Cyril Cools & Milton Z © International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
Reve, bred by Walter Lelie) reigned supreme in riding through the first round of thirteen obstacles and the jump-off reduced to seven from Swiss course designer Gérard Lachat.
“In nine participations in the Morocco Royal Tour, I’d never won a Grand Prix and this year I won two! I was also pleased with how the Italian Team did in the Nations Cup and enjoyed the competition.” Ninth to go in the jump-off, with his 10-year-old mount between the reins, Gaudiano stopped the clock on 32.00, taking the win ahead of Belgium’s Cyril Cools who had a great Morocco Royal Tour, and who closed in second place riding the 12-year-old grey Milton Z (Mylord Carthago x
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Sandro Boy, bred by Freek Hoogenboom) and French Olivier Robert with Careca LS Elite (Carusso Ls La Silla x Rebozo La Silla, bred by Rodrigo Padilla Olvera) placed third. “I've won fewer classes here [in El Jadida] than in Tetouan, in fact it’s my first victory, but it's the right one,” said a smiling Gaudiano who this year concluded the MRT leg in Tetouan with a Grand Prix victory riding Nicolaj de Music and opened the Rabat leg winning with Jaja. “In nine participations in the Morocco Royal Tour, I'd never won a Grand Prix and this year I won two! I was also pleased with how the Italian Team did in the Nations Cup and enjoyed the competition. “I like coming here because of the appreciable weather at this time of year, because of the welcome from the Moroccans as well, but of course for the technical quality of the three stages, the ground and the
Olivier Robert & Careca Ls Elite © International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
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2023 MOROCCO ROYAL TOUR
El Jadida
Jérôme Guery & Enjoy d'Eole
Barbara Schnieper & Canice
© International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
choice of the course designers. At the end of the day, coming here this year was a good decision!” The international competition had Jerome Guery of Belgium
MRT Press | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
and Enjoy d’Elle (Kannan x Carthago Z, bred by EARL Haras d’Eole) closing in fourth and Switzerland’s Barbara Schnieper riding Canice (Cascadello I x Cornet Obolensky, bred by
Wolfgang Brinkmann) fifth. The World Cup Grand Prix of his Majesty King Mohammed VI counts both toward the World Cup Arab League and Longines World Rankings.
#Portrait The fight was on after Morocco’s El Ghadi Boukaa riding the pretty 13-year-old mare A Kyss (Diamant de Semillly x Cabdula du Tillard) took the lead, in a field of 25, performing to a clear round and the fastest time of 69.37 joining 10 qualified combinations advancing to the short course. The duo was clear until the last jump where they touched the timber which dropped them to eighth place with 4 faults and 34.61.
© International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
#Tbourida Tbourida is a Moroccan equestrian performance dating back to the sixteenth century. It simulates a succession of military parades, reconstructed according to ancestral Arab-Amazigh conventions and rituals. Each region is represented by a team known as “Sorba,” made up of distinguished riders and horses. Tbourida has been listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage since 2021 and has become an annual contest at the Salon du Cheval d'El Jadida.
© International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
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Virginie Thonon and Q-Famous Van Berg Op Zoom Conquer the ONMT CSI1* Grand Prix © International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
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El Jadida After being rescheduled due to storm Bernard which hit El Jadida on Sunday morning, the two Grand Prix, CSI1* and 4* were delayed and held during the day thanks to the indoor arena.
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he third leg of the MRT shines on France's Virginie Thonon. She won the CSI3* World Cup Grand Prix in 2017 with High Tech Vy de Septon and, on Sunday, competing alone against four Moroccan riders,
she won the ONMT 1* Grand Prix with Q-Famous Van Berg Op Zoom in a calm and very fluid jump-off. Smiling in regard to her horse’s name she shared: "At the stables we call him Mini Grisou —nothing to do with his name, but a bit
Mouad Bouya & VDL Groep Ernest © International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
simpler. That said, apart from this victory, he's 7 years old and learnt a lot on this tour. He’s truly a fairly simple and intelligent horse and responded well to the jump-off. I didn't go particularly fast, but that was enough because the others
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Virginie Thonon & Q - Famous Van Berg Op Zoom MRT PRESS | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
“At the stables we call him Mini Grisou — nothing to do with his name, but a bit simpler.” closed with faults.” Regarding the MRT, she added that there’s nothing like it to toughen up young horses! Thonon also qualified for the second round of the CSI4*
Grand Prix with her other mount, Edgard de Préfountaine, along with 10 other clear rounds in a field of 24 starts.
Top 3 Final Ranking
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Virginie Thonon Q-Famous Van Berg Op Zoom
0.00-0.00 | 39.14 sec.
In a field of 30 participants, with 12 qualifying for the jump off, on home turf claiming second and third place honors respectively were Mouad Bouya riding VDL Groep Ernest, and Driss Taoui aboard Cicero.
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Mouad Bouya VDL Groep Ernest
0.00-4.00 | 36.94 sec.
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Driss Taoui Cicero II
0.00-4.00 | 38.12 sec.
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Tom Tarver-Priebe & Fiber Fresh Popeye © International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
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First Moroccan Victory for New Zealander Tom Tarver-Priebe and His Olympic Horse Fiber Fresh Popeye The Longines FEI World Ranking classes kicked-off with a Faults and Time course with Swiss course designer Gérard Lachat building a technical and tricky course. It didn't matter for New Zealand's Tom Tarver-Priebe who recorded his first victory in the Morocco Royal Tour 2023.
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f the 29 entries only seven cleared the course in the PRIX MAPM / SOREC with a total of 12 advancing to the jumpoff. Tom Tarver-Priebe and his New Zealand bred and born 13-year-old gelding, Fiber Fresh Popeye (Cardento 933 x Lio Caylon A), cleared and won with a fast and precise performance stopping the clock at 65.64. Tarver-Priebe was thrilled with his win. “I knew that I was against great riders such as Simon Delestre and André Thieme, but I stuck to my plan, rode my course taking the options I’d chosen when walking the course, and today
it worked. It was our day. I’m particularly happy because it's my first win here, on the Morocco Royal Tour, and it's a circuit that I love, it’s
Tom Tarver-Priebe & Fiber Fresh Popeye MRT PRESS | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
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El Jadida magnificent. I sincerely hope to be invited back next year”. The 38-year-old and his horse represented his country in his first Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021. Arriving on Moroccan soil, he finished eighth in the Rabat Grand Prix and with the win in El Jadida he recorded the fifth international victory of his career. “I got him in New Zealand when he was 7 years old,” he shared. “My wife Lucia and I left our country in 2019 with our two horses. We come from humble beginnings and had to work hard. I owe everything I have achieved to this horse; he’s so special, fights for me, and we have a very special relationship. Initially I was supposed to sell him to Japan but the deal fell through so I had to keep him. He was a little green at the time and needed training but he's always had a really good brain so it was easy to teach him. We slowly got to know each other and we synced. When he was eight, we realized he had the potential to move on. At the time I had another
Fiber Fresh Popeye © International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
job and rode him only on the weekends but, thanks to good trainers that helped me along the way and good management, that’s when we decided to
think bigger. It was always a dream to go to the Olympics and ride well and it’s a dream come true that it all came together.”
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Andre Thieme & Paule S MRT PRESS | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
Simon Delestre & Olga van de Kruishoeve MRT PRESS | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
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#Moments © International Horse Press | ctanierephotographie.com
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Nicolas Deseuzes & Eldorado Sunheup Z MRT PRESS | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
Two French Victories On The Third Day of El Jadida CSI4* Competition
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It was all about France on the third day of competition in El Jadida with Nicolas Deseuzes topping the leaderboard in the CSI4*-W 1.50m Grand Prix CDG and Olivier Robert riding his young Anglo-Arab Espri du Figuier to the the win in the CSI4*-W 1.45m.
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he the first-round course of thirteen obstacles and sixteen efforts, created by Swiss course designer Gérard Lachat, of the CSI4*-W Prix CDG 1.50m was very tricky and highly technical, causing many faults throughout the course without ever putting the horses at risk. As a result, only two clear rounds were recorded, and three others with
timefaults, which meant that all the combinations with four faults moved on to the second round which was reduced to seven obstacles, including a double: The famous Winnnig Tour where the counters are all reset to zero. From the outset, Ireland's Jessica Burke set the bar, putting pressure in a field of twelve with a fiery ride on Nikey HH. To beat her, there was no room for compromise:
Top 3 Final Ranking
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Nicolas Deseuzes Eldorado Sunheup Z
0.00 | 35.94 sec.
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Charlotte Philippe Cacharel de Amoranda Z
0.00 | 36.40 sec.
3 Charlotte Philippe & Chacharel de Amoranda Z
Cyril Cools Milton Z
0.00 | 36.61 sec.
MRT PRESS | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
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2023 MOROCCO ROYAL TOUR
El Jadida You had to give it your all. This was achieved by the Belgians Charlotte Philippe and Cyril Cools and above all by the Frenchman Nicolas Deseuzes with an Eldorado Sunheup Z who fit the course like a glove. “Yes, he's very fast indeed,” said Deseuzes. “I can gallop through the poles, and he keeps balance on his own. He wins a lot of classes like that. Olivier Robert & Espri du Figuier AA MRT PRESS | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
He was born at Carine Groualle's home in La Manche (Normandy) and has always been a very spectacular horse, but this is the first year I've been able to jump big 1.50 m 1.55 m courses because up until then, he jumped too high. Since last summer he’s become more reasonable and thinks how he should jump while remaining very careful.
When asked if he would be the candidate for the Grand Prix, Deseuzes at the time answered that he hadn't really decided who he was going to ride but he knew he had to decided quickly between the grey and Drugster des Forets as entries were closing. In the end the final choice was Drugster des Forets. This is Deseuzes’ very first victory in the Morocco
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Royal Tour, which he has been taking part in since 2014. “Unfortunately, I can't be here every year because it depends on my Federation's selections. But this is a circuit I enjoy coming to and returning to; the atmosphere is different, it's a change, and it's almost a little adventure!”
Top 3 Final Ranking
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Olivier Robert Espri du Figuier AA
0.00 | 60.81 sec.
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Cyril Cools Seahorse Z
0.00 | 61.63 sec.
3 #GrandPrix FBP
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Jennifer Hochstadter Tinka's Hero Z
0.00 | 62.53 sec.
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he CSI4* day began with a French victory in the Grand Prix FBP, a Faults and Time class with Olivier Robert and his 9-yearold grey Anglo-Arab stallion Espri du Figuier, taking part in his first indoor show. The prize-giving ceremony was attended by four greys out of the five horses invited to the honors. The only non-grey in this top five was Tinka’s Hero, owned by Jennifer Hochstadter of Liechenstein. The bay held on to lead for a long time and is Simon Delestre’s former horse with whom the Lorrain native won last year's Winning Round in Tetouan.
Cyril Cools & Seahorse Z MRT PRESS | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
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Vet Check #LoveMyHorseMoments
El Jadida
MRT PRESS | © Adèle Renauldon - R&B Presse
Three fabulous venues, three four-day legs, all CSI4* for the twelfth edition of the Morocco Royal Tour (MRT), were held between October 5 and 22, 2023. Created in 2010 on the “High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI” and directed by Prince Moulay Abdallah Alaoui, the MRT grows from year to year, confirming its place as a major competition on the world equestrian calendar, under the aegis of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI).
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he circuit kicked off in Tetouan, October 5-8 (234.000€ in prize money), at the superb facilities of the Royal Guard. The Rabat leg, October 12-15 (274.000€ in prize money), took place at the Royal Moroccan Federation of Equestrian Sports (FRMSE) facilities, with the flagship event being the Moroccan Nations Cup. The final leg in El Jadida, October 19-23 (241.000€ in prize money), an indoor show
jumping event held during the Salon du Cheval d’El Jadida, one of the most important horse fairs on the continent, where the flagship event – the Grand Prix de Sa Majesté le Roi Mohammed VI de Saut d’obstacles – took place. SEE YOU IN 2024 TETOUAN
RABAT
EL JADIDA
October 3-6
October 10-13
October 17-20
International Horse Press and Managing Editor Simona Diale would like to thank the organizers of the Morocco Royal Tour, Pascal and Adéle Renaudon of R&B Press, the Salon du Cheval d'el Jadida, and all those involved for the kind hospitality and the wonderful event. We look forward to 2024!
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