El Jadida Horse Show: Between the Heritage of Tbourida and the Excellence of the Morocco Royal Tour

El Jadida – Every year, the city of El Jadida becomes the beating heart of equestrian sports, successfully combining two fascinating worlds: the ancestral art of Tbourida and the world elite of show jumping with the Morocco Royal Tour.

A key event showcasing Morocco’s rich equine heritage, the El Jadida Horse Show (October 13-18) aims to celebrate the horse through its dual identity: preserving the Moroccan spirit through Tbourida and representing the pinnacle of world sport with the prestigious Morocco Royal Tour.

Recognized as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tbourida is not just a spectacle, but an equestrian art that tells the story of Moroccan riders through the ages.

At the El Jadida Horse Show, it takes the form of the highly coveted King Mohammed VI Grand Prix of Tbourida, which brings together the best Sorbas from across the Kingdom.

The competition is a demonstration of absolute mastery, synchronization, and a profound connection between rider and mount. From the Hadda (the bow), through the Talqa (the run), and the Baroud (the shot), the judges are called upon to evaluate the harmony of the attire, the alignment of the horses, the quality of the start, and the perfect sound of the final shot.

Alongside the Tbourida, which represents the ancestral soul of Moroccan horsemanship, stands a prestigious international sporting event: the Morocco Royal Tour (MRT) show jumping competition, which reflects international sporting excellence.

Just a few meters from the Tbourida dirt tracks, the atmosphere shifts dramatically, giving way to the focused silence of the show jumping arenas. The El Jadida Horse Show is hosting the third and final leg of the Morocco Royal Tour, a top-level international show jumping circuit, classified as CSI 5W and CSI 2 by the International Equestrian Federation.

The MRT, which takes place successively in Tetouan, Rabat, and then culminates in El Jadida, faces the challenge of this final stage: competing indoors. This means smaller arenas, proximity to the public, and artificial lighting—elements that demand a different, faster, and more precise technique from both horses and riders.

The El Jadida leg of the MRT (Moroccan Equestrian Tourism Federation) includes the King Mohammed VI Grand Prix show jumping competition, an event that allows the best riders from the Arab and North African region to accumulate crucial points towards qualifying for the FEI World Cup Final. It is also part of the Longines FEI Ranking List, thus attracting the world’s elite riders to Morocco.

The El Jadida Horse Show successfully manages to thrill the public with the sound of the Tbourida horses’ gallop and keep them on the edge of their seats with the performances of the riders and their mounts in show jumping.