“Bryan is a good friend, but we are good competitors, we push each other, and we fight for it in the ring. Actually, he was faster than me, but I was lucky because he had one down,” laughed Joly, who was both fast and careful during this afternoon.

“The most important thing with this horse is to keep confident. I don’t jump very big, I just try to keep him happy and without stress, because he is a really shy horse so I have to be careful not to do too much. A lot of times you think you have to jump big in the warm-up, but for this one 1.30-1.35m is good enough,” Joly explained, going on to discuss her own preparation. “I actually have a mental coach, and I am really well-surrounded. I have a great team and they always push me to go further and to fight every day.”

And fight she did!

Pegasus Bandit Savoie flies with Ines Joly (FRA)  © R&B Presse / Morgan Froment

The day's earlier events:
CSI1* Prix de la Garde Royale: Estelle Gérard discovers a new gear
From the moment riders stepped foot onto Le Garde Royal this morning for the Morocco Royal Tour (MRT) of Tetouan finale, the excitement in the air was palpable. Yet, it was Belgium’s Estelle Gerard who had an especially good feeling about today when she climbed into the saddle of 15-year-old gelding Jedam for the CSI1* GRAND PRIX DE LA GARDE ROYAL—a class that would shortly become a dream come true for the young 16-year-old.

Estelle Gerard (BEL) takes her first international win with Jerard © R&B Presse / Morgan Froment

You might not guess based on her soft-spoken and gentle disposition, but in the ring, Gerard is anything but reserved. Sure to leave no room for negotiation, the pair found perfect synergy and a courageous gallop, blazing through the timers in 38.52 seconds. It was more than a second and a half faster than runner-up Jean-Marie Soupasse aboard 10-year-old mare Excess For You (40.14 seconds). The class marked the first international win of Gerard’s career, and thus, she will remember this beautiful day in Tetouan for the rest of her life.  

“Today I gave it everything, I was really into it…I don’t normally go this fast but I had the feeling my horse was ready for it. It was also my first 1.40m and I’m so happy to win here. The goal is to be in the next two Grand Prix in Rabat and El Jadida, and I will try to win those too!”
CSI4* Prix de la F.R.M.S.E: Rikke Belinda Barker loves all things Moroccan
The girl power flowed straight into the first class of the 4* division, the CSI4*-W 1.45m PRIX DE LA F.R.M.S.E. However, it was a new anthem that rang through the valley thanks to an especially daring Dane. Rikke Belinda Barker and 11-year-old gelding Pico Hcc were the last to jump-off but the first to go in the victory lap.
 
“It’s amazing to win here; I am so happy with my horse. He is very simple to ride, but he’s also very fast, and he always gives his everything. I’m based in Belgium at ST Stables. I was inspired to come to the MRT because I have been to Marrakech a few times. I love Morocco, I love the people, I love the food, I love the tea! It’s been a really good experience. The show is really well-organized and the horses are very happy here."

Estelle Gerard (BEL) takes her first international win with Jerard © R&B Presse / Morgan Froment

The girl power flowed straight into the first class of the 4* division, the CSI4*-W 1.45m PRIX DE LA F.R.M.S.E. However, it was a new anthem that rang through the valley thanks to an especially daring Dane. Rikke Belinda Barker and 11-year-old gelding Pico Hcc were the last to jump-off but the first to go in the victory lap.

“It’s amazing to win here; I am so happy with my horse. He is very simple to ride, but he’s also very fast, and he always gives his everything. I’m based in Belgium at ST Stables. I was inspired to come to the MRT because I have been to Marrakech a few times. I love Morocco, I love the people, I love the food, I love the tea! It’s been a really good experience. The show is really well-organized and the horses are very happy here."
 
Indeed, we are all leaving Tetouan with smiles on our faces, but the thrill of Moroccan show jumping is only just beginning as we move on to Rabat for an undeniable annual highlight...the CSIO4*-W Nations' Cup of Rabat!

RESULTS

PRIX DE LA GARDE  ROYALE
CSI1* - 1.40 m Grand Prix - Jump Off - 238.2.2
30 participants and 12 placed
 
1) Estelle Gerard, BEL – Jedam 0-0/38.52, 2) Jean Marie Soupasse, FRA – Excess For You 0-0/40.17, 3) Amine Lyazidi, MAR – Fantasia de l'Aubere 0-0/41.25, 4) Ghali Chaoui, MAR – Esperenzo 0-0/41.69, 5) Alessandro Iasson
 
PRIX DE DAKHLA
CSI4*-W - 1.45 m (LR) -Winning Round - 276.2
35 participants and 12 placed
 
1) Rikke Belinda Barker, DEN – Pico Hcc 0-0/38.44, 2) Armando Trapote, ESP – Karl P 0-0/38.68, 3) Abdelkebir Ouaddar, MAR – Baccarat Meniljean 1-0/39.39, 4) Nico Lupino, ITA – Ikke 4-0/39.61, 5) Luiz Felipe Neto de Azevedo

PRIX DE S.A.R LE PRINCE HERITIER MOULAY EL HASSAN
CSI4*-W - 1.50 m World Cup Grand Prix (LR) - Two Rounds both atc - 273.4.3b
36 participants and 12 placed
 
1) Ines Joly, FRA – Pegasus Bandit Savoie 0-0/51.14, 2) Khaled Almobty, KSA – Spacecake 0-0/51.44, 3) Teresa Blazquez - Abascal, ESP – Nasa de Toxandria 0-0/52.31, 4) Charles Henri Ferme, FRA – Bellini Dufaure de L 0-0/52.86, 5) Filippo Bassan

About the Morocco Royal Tour
Three exceptional sites, three four-day stages, all 4*, for the thirteenth edition of the Morocco Royal Tour, taking place between September 19, 2024, and October 6, 2024. Created in 2010 on the "High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI" and directed by Prince Moulay Abdallah Alaoui, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine des Sports Équestres (Royal Moroccan Federation of Equestrian Sports), 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).
 
▪ The circuit kicks off in Tetouan, from September 19 to 22, at the superb facilities of the Garde Royale. A magnificent venue with “permanent" facilities: majestic grandstands and superb stables decorated in traditional Moroccan style.
The Rabat show, from September 25 to 29, is held at the technically impeccable facilities of the Royal Moroccan Federation of Equestrian Sports, whose flagship event is the Moroccan Nations' Cup, scheduled for Sunday afternoon, but also featuring a prestigious 4* World Cup Grand Prix on Friday.
The final leg in El Jadida, from October 3 to 6, is an indoor event with a sports program like that of Tetouan. It also provides an opportunity to discover the Moroccan Horse Exhibition (Salon du Cheval d’El Jadida), undoubtedly the most important on the continent, and where the flagship class of the circuit, the Grand Prix de Sa Majesté le Roi Mohammed VI de Saut d'obstacles, is held.

    
Media Contact
Pascal Renauldon
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WhatsApp au Maroc +33 6 08 75 94 07

Adèle Renauldon
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WhatsApp au Maroc +33 6 50 05 69 34

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