Morocco Claims Second Place in Rabat Nations Cup
Morocco secured second place in the 2026 Nations Cup team showjumping event in Rabat, finishing as runners-up behind France after a tense jump-off at the Royal Complexe des sports équestres et Tbourida Dar Essalam. The competition formed the centerpiece of the second leg of the 15th Morocco Royal Tour, held under the patronage of King Mohammed VI and organized within the CSIO4*-W four-star category over 1.50-meter obstacles.
The deciding phase materialized after Morocco, France, Germany, and Belgium finished the regulation first and second rounds deadlocked on penalty points. France claimed the team title with a total of four faults across the standard rounds, anchored by Olivier Perreau, Alix Ragot, Cyril Bouvard, and Jeanne Sadran. In the jump-off, Sadran delivered a clear round aboard Dexter de Kerglenn in 33.24 seconds, sealing the victory for the French squad.
Abdelkebir Ouaddar Secures Silver with Clean Jump-Off
Abdelkebir Ouaddar carried Moroccan hopes in the jump-off aboard Festival d’Argouges, executing a flawless clear round in 33.78 seconds. That performance clinched second place for the host nation’s quartet, which included Ali Al Ahrach, El Ghali Boukaa, Ouaddar, and Abdeslam Bennani Smires. The Moroccan team collected four penalty points in the opening round before bouncing back with a clear second round to force the four-way tie.
It is a decision that brings several months of diplomatic tension between Rabat and Dakar to an end. King Mohammed VI granted a royal pardon this Saturday to the Senegalese supporters imprisoned in Morocco following the violence that erupted during the final of the 2025 Africa… pic.twitter.com/P66ohhfux9
Germany rounded out the podium in third place after accumulating four penalty points across the main rounds, aided by a clear jump-off performance from Tom Schewe in 34.93 seconds. Earlier on the same day at the Rabat venue, Ouaddar also piloted Larsino to a third-place finish in the SOREC four-star 1.45-meter class, clocking a clear round in 46.89 seconds.
Coaches Assess Pressure and Performance in Rabat
French team coach Olivier Guillon noted that Ouaddar’s opening run in the jump-off created immediate pressure for the chasing contenders. The French technical staff monitored Ouaddar’s racing lines to spot fractions of a second, a strategy that Sadran executed to secure the trophy.
National coach Philippe Rozier expressed satisfaction with the Moroccan riders’ consistency, calling the result a vital step toward the squad’s broader competitive goals. Meanwhile, team member Ali Al Ahrach admitted that while the team aimed for the top step of the podium, the runner-up finish remains a strong achievement against elite international opposition.
El Jadida Tour Finale Awaits Riders
The Rabat leg brought the second stage of the Morocco Royal Tour to a close, following the opening fixtures in Tétouan that ran from October 1 to October 4. The 15th edition of the tour now moves toward its final destination in El Jadida, where the concluding CSIO actions are scheduled from October 15 to October 18 as part of the annual Salon du Cheval.
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