For this kick-off in El Jadida of the Longines FEI World Ranking classes, a Faults and Time course, the Swiss course designer Gérard Lachat, built a technical and tricky course. But that didn’t matter for New Zealand’s Tom Tarver-Priebe who today recorded his first victory in the Morocco Royal Tour 2023 held in El Jadida during the Salon du Chevalier d’El Jadida.
The long course of twelve fences in the CSI4* – 1.50m Grand Prix MAPM/SOREC was punctuated with minor technical difficulties spread throughout the course, with perhaps the double No 10 (vertical, one stride-oxer) more at fault than the rest of the course. A course that only allowed seven clear rounds! “I know that you have to fight to beat riders like Simon Delestre or André Thieme”’, Tom Tarver-Priebe summed up. “But I stuck to my plan, I rode my course taking the options I’d chosen walking the course and today, it worked. Today was our day. And 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 magnificent. I sincerely hope to be invited back next year”. Does the New Zealander’s victory augur another victory for his country this evening? “Oh yes, you mean the Rugby World Cup semi-final? Yes, I’m a fan of the sport like any good New Zealander. And I intend to watch the match tonight! What’s my prediction? I see a 12-point win for the All-Blacks over the Argentinian Pumas”. We’ll see if he’s right.With this same horse, Fiber Fresh Popeye, a 13-year-old grey gelding born in New Zealand, Tom Tarver-Priebe (38) took part in his first Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Last week, he finished eighth in the Rabat Grand Prix and on Friday in El Jadida he recorded his fifth international victory of his career.
GRAND PRIX MAPM / SOREC
CSI4*-W – 1.50 m (LR) GP Qualif. – Faults and Time
29 Starters and 12 Classified
1) Tom Tarver – Priebe, NZL – Fiber Fresh Popeye 0/65.64, 2) Andre Thieme, GER – Paule S 0/67.07, 3) Simon Delestre, FRA – Olga van de Kruishoeve 0/69.39, 4) Marine Scauflaire, BEL – Hortus d’Hoogpoort 0/70.22, 5) Virginie Thonon, BEL – Edgard de Prefontaine 0/75.55
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Media Contact:
Pascal Renauldon – p.renauldon@rbpresse.com
WhatsApp Morocco : +33 6 08 75 94 07
Adèle Renauldon – adele@rbpresse.com
WhatsApp Morocco: +33 6 50 05 69 34
By Edited Press Release
