MOROCCO ROYAL TOUR 2025: AFRICA'S TOP EQUESTRIAN CIRCUIT KICKS OFF
On September 18, the curtain will be drawn in Tetouan for a new edition of the Morocco Royal Tour.
Over the course of three weeks, exceptional riders and horses will travel from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, from the Royal Guard of Tetouan to Rabat, before concluding their journey at Salon du Cheval in El Jadida. This now-unmissable Tour welcomes competitors from 17 nations this year: Poland, taking part for the very first time in the Nations Cup, while Argentina and Bahrain will make their debut in the Morocco Royal Tour as individual participants.
The Morocco Royal Tour, which has become one of the most acclaimed circuits on the international equestrian scene over the years, returns in 2025 with a particularly rich programme: 27 classes including 13 that count towards the FEI Longines World Ranking; three CSI4*-W Grand Prix qualifying for the World Cup; and 18 CSI1* classes that also allow young horses and rising talents to compete on exceptional footing. The sporting highlight will undoubtedly be the CSIO4*-W Nations Cup of Rabat, staged this year on a completely renewed surface.
Finally, the circuit will close in El Jadida with the Grand Prix of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, held as part of the Salon du Cheval, with prize money of €164,000, a true climax to three weeks of sport and passion.
The brand-new arena in Rabat will host the prestigious Nations Cup in optimal conditions on Sunday 29 September. Morocco, which has already shone in recent years on an individual level through riders such as Abdelkebir Ouaddar, the only Moroccan to win a 5* Grand Prix and El Ghali Boukaa, now dreams more than ever of uniting its forces to finally conquer "its" Nations Cup at home, in front of its public.
One of the charms of the Morocco Royal Tour is the way it brings together riders with very different backgrounds. At just 20 years old, Brazil's Luiz Felipe Neto de Azevedo is already proving to be a worthy heir to his father: 54 international victories, a team gold medal at the Continental Youth Championships in Oliva, and a career only just beginning. Placed last year in the World Cup qualifying CSI4* Grand Prix of El Jadida, the young Brazilian returns to Morocco more motivated than ever.
The line-up also features unique stories. Joe Whitaker of Great Britain, born into the most famous equestrian dynasty, with almost every member of his family having represented their country at the highest level, first started out as a jockey before turning to showjumping. A loyal contender of the MRT, Italy's Emanuele Gaudiano, already a several-time winner of the Tetouan and El Jadida Grands Prix, will once again defend his reputation as a serial winner. And how can we not mention the Thijssen family, a true Dutch saga: father Léon, his daughters Sanne and Mel, and his son Mans, all capable of wearing the orange jacket at major championships. Finally, Switzerland will be represented by Edouard Schmitz, elected "Rookie of the Year" in 2021, whose Nations Cup victories in St. Gallen and Dublin confirmed that at just 26 he is already a cornerstone of his national team.
The stage is set, ambitions declared.
See you on 18 September8 in Tetouan for the kick-off of the Morocco Royal Tour, the most prestigious showjumping circuit on the African continent.
--ENDS--
Edited by HT
Tap on the PDF documents to see the participating Nations and riders