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Tuesday in Bouznika’s Mehrek, 21 troops mounted their horses, dressed in ceremonial attire as they prepared to showcase their mastery of the art of Tbourida. They came from four regions to compete in the interregional Tbourida competition, organized by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Horse (SOREC) and the Royal Moroccan Federation for Equestrian Sports (FRMSE).
After a day of tightly contested performances, first place went to Charaf Bahraoui, the mquadem representing Moul Lbergui commune from the Marrakech-Safi region. Second place was secured by Mohamed El Khourchef, mquadem of the sorba representing Ben Ahmed, Settat, from the Casablanca-Settat region. Third place went to Mohamed-Amine Telhouni, mquadem of Sidi El Aidi, also representing Settat and the Casablanca-Settat region.
Commenting on the competition, Issam Touati, head of the Bouznika Mehrek, said the event marked the senior-category interregional competition for Morocco’s central regions, namely Casablanca-Settat, Beni Mellal-Khenifra, Marrakech-Safi, and Souss-Massa.
«The event serves as a qualifying stage for the Hassan II Tbourida Trophy at Dar Es Salam, before finalists move on to compete for the Grand Prix of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Tbourida at the Horse Salon», Touati told Yabiladi.
Judged on four criteria
«The level today is very high. The participants performed well», Touati said, explaining that the competition is judged according to four criteria. The first is the hadda, «an introductory phase, where we look at the harmony of the sorba, the riders, the attire, the saddles, and whether the horses are Berber or Arab-Berber», he explained.
The three remaining stages focus on «laab lbaroud», which includes the firing of gunpowder rifles, the synchronization of the sorba, how the tarika (Tbourida school) is performed according to regional traditions, and finally the talqa, the collective rifle shot, which must be perfectly synchronized. Each stage is scored out of 25 points, he added.
Touati added that the championship follows a progressive qualification system. «The troops first compete in regional competitions, then in interregional events, before qualifying for the national championship», he said, describing it as the «ultimate goal of most troops».
