Placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and under the aegis of the Royal Moroccan Equestrian Sports Federation, this sporting event brings together the best Moroccan riders in the senior and junior categories. The latter will compete with effort, but also with elegance and grace, to offer the public spectacles worthy of an ancestral equestrian heritage that Moroccans are keen to preserve and promote: tbourida, which has been an integral part of Moroccan cultural identity for centuries. The spirited cavalcades of the participating riders and their races in tight ranks on splendidly harnessed horses remain, indeed, among the folkloric tableaux that make up the charm of Morocco and the richness of its heritage. The riders participating in the competitions of this Championship must respect a ritual scrupulously preserved for centuries: after the performance of the "hadda" (the salute), they proceed to the "baroud" charges. A performance they execute with brilliance, and above all in compliance with precise rules on which the evaluation made by the judges depends. Among the elements taken into account in the evaluation: the riders' attire and the overall harmony of the troupe, the beauty of the horses' harness, the organisation and discipline of the troupe, and the synchronised firing (salvo). Let us recall that the 13th edition of the Hassan II Trophy for traditional equestrian arts was a great success. The high level of the participating troupes and the quality of the organisation contributed greatly to this. It was the Sidi Bennour team, led by the moqaddem Abardane Bouchaib, that was crowned Moroccan Champion 2012. It was followed respectively by the teams from the troupes of Nouaceur and Taourirt.
Juniors and seniors
• Each senior tbourida troupe participating in the Hassan II Trophy for traditional equestrian arts must be composed of 15 riders.
• Senior riders must be aged 16 and over. As for the young ones, they must be aged between 11 and 15.
• Only horses aged at least 4 years, duly identified by the national stud farms and vaccinated against equine influenza, are authorised to participate in official tbourida competitions.
