The Grand Prix Qualifier for Armando Trapote

The Morocco Royal Tour settled into its stride in Rabat with a major 1.50m class, the Prix Wilaya Région Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, a qualifier for the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Amina, which will take place tomorrow, brought forward because of Sunday’s Nations Cup. This highlight of the day was won by Spain’s Armando Trapote, finishing with almost a full second to spare.
On a highly technical course of twelve obstacles and fourteen efforts, designed by Italian course builder Uliano Vezzani, Trapote found the key to success and was able to savour an important victory on the very first day in Rabat: “I’m really very happy with this round and, above all, with my horse. Karl P jumped incredibly today. The track was demanding, but he made everything look easy. He’s a horse with power and quality, and today he proved he is ready for this level.”

The Spanish rider knows the international circuit well, as he and his wife Teresa Blázquez also manage the Sunshine Tour in Andalusia. “It’s always a pleasure to compete here at the Morocco Royal Tour. The organisation is excellent, the atmosphere both friendly and professional, and for us it truly feels like a second home. We really enjoy coming back every year, meeting friends, fellow riders and horses we know so well.” Teresa Blázquez-Abascal is also competing at this year’s MRT and in the same class today, where she finished with just four faults riding Nasa de Toxandria.

Looking ahead to the rest of the week, Trapote remained cautious but ambitious:
“Winning today is a very good start, but the most important thing is to keep the horses in this positive rhythm. We’ll see about the Grand Prix, and of course the Nations Cup, which always remains a major goal for a team like ours.”
French colors first, Moroccan victory next

The day had opened with a French sweep in the Prix ANCFCC, a Special Two-Phase at 1.35m, where Nathalie Mack and Baccara de l’Aubépine took the win ahead of Florent Jeannin with Chica de Bourguignon Z.

Morocco quickly found its own path to victory in the very next class thanks to Majid Djaidi, who topped the Prix ONMT (CSIO4*-W – Two Phases – 1.40m) with Amidam Tivoli Z. At 44, the rider who represented Morocco at the Mediterranean Games in Oran produced a flawless double clear in 27.01 seconds.

Just behind, the margins were razor-thin: the Netherlands’ Sanne Thijssen took second with Lolandria Z in 27.37 seconds, followed by Italy’s Roberto Turchetto with Heidelberg (27.62). Fourth went to Armando Trapote (ESP) on Gin Tonic van het Gerendal Z in 27.63, while Poland’s Adam Grzegorzewski, riding Caramoon Red Z, completed the top five in 27.67. With just six-tenths of a second separating the top five combinations, this was one of the tightest classes of the day, victory decided by the finest of margins.

It was also the class where Tetouan’s Grand Prix winner, Abdeslam Bennani Smires with Mister d’Eclipse, chose to retire after eight fences, thereby ruling himself out of tomorrow’s Grand Prix. His objective is crystal clear: to focus all efforts on the Nations Cup, the title the whole of Morocco dreams of seeing its riders lift. Mister d’Eclipse, by the great stallion Diamant de Semilly, widely considered the world’s leading sire today, will now be carefully saved and will not touch another pole before Sunday.

CSIO4*-W – Prix Wilaya Région Rabat-Salé-Kénitra – 1.50m tFaults & Time – Qualifying for the Grand Prix
1) Armando Trapote, ESP – Karl P 0/62.89, 2) Leon Thijssen, NED – Lambiek 0/63.79, 3) Roberto Turchetto, ITA – Don Blue 0/64.15, 4) El Ghali Boukaa, MAR – Chester N 0/65.46, 5) Filippo Bassan, ITA – Cerruti de Kreisker 0/65.70

CSI 1* Prix ANCFCC, Two-Phase Special, 1.35m.
1) Nathalie Mack, FRA – Baccara de l’Aubepine 0-0/33.06, 2) Florent Jeannin, FRA – Chica de Bourguignon Z 0-0/33.52, 3) Jeremy Le Roy, FRA – Falkira de Mormoulins 0-0/33.81, 4) Julie Anne Verneuil, FRA – Real Music 0-0/33.94, 5) Ali Al Ahrach, MAR – Kasanova’s Son 0-0/34.31,

CSIO4*-W PRIX ONMT – Two Phases – 1.40m
1) Majid Djaidi, MAR – Amidam Tivoli Z 0-0/27.01, 2) Sanne Thijssen, NED – Lolandria Z 0-0/27.37, 3) Roberto Turchetto, ITA – Heidelberg 0-0/27.62, 4) Armando Trapote, ESP – Gin Tonic van het Gerendal Z 0-0/27.63, 5) Adam Grzegorzewski, POL – Caramoon Red Z 0-0/27.67,