France wins in Rabat
Rabat, Sunday, October 11, 2026 – The second week of competition at the Morocco Royal Tour came to a close this evening with France claiming victory in the CSIO4*-W Nations Cup, sponsored by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool Education and Sports. Competing on home soil, Morocco finished second, while Germany took third place.
France adds its name to the Rabat Nations Cup roll of honour
At 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, following the parade of nations, the highly anticipated CSIO4*-W Nations Cup got underway. The riders faced a technical course designed by Spanish course designer Santiago Varela. “Designing a Nations Cup course is never easy, as you have to take into account the level of all the riders and the fact that there are two rounds,” he explained. “Horse welfare is also at the heart of my priorities. The course needs to be technically challenging for the riders without putting the horses in difficulty. In the end, the sport did the rest, and we were treated to a truly great competition today.”
Of the nine nations competing in the first round, Spain, with 16 penalty points, failed to qualify for the second round. Brazil, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Morocco and France therefore returned for a second round in which everything was still to play for. Competing on home soil, the Moroccan riders rose to the occasion, finishing with just four penalty points and earning a place in the jump-off for victory alongside France, Germany and Belgium.
Selected by Moroccan team manager Philippe Rozier, Abdelkebir Ouaddar was the first to tackle the decisive jump-off course. In front of a crowd holding its breath, the Moroccan rider and Festival d’Argouges delivered a brilliantly executed round, crossing the finish line in 33.78 seconds. The stands erupted in celebration as he set a formidable target for the three remaining nations. France’s Jeanne Sadran and her trusted partner Dexter de Kerglenn were next to go. Unfortunately for the home crowd, their lightning-fast time of 33.24 seconds dashed Morocco’s hopes of victory. Germany’s Tom Schewe, riding Congress Blue PS, secured third place on the podium with a time of 34.93 seconds. Belgium, represented by Mike van Olst and Comme Elle Faut Odth Z, finished fourth after recording a time of 33.95 seconds, with four penalty points added to their score.
A fiercely contested Nations Cup ultimately went to France, much to the delight of assistant team manager Olivier Guillon: “It was an absolute pleasure. For me, this is a somewhat new team, particularly with Jeanne and Olivier (Perreau), who are usually part of Edouard’s (Coupérie, French national team manager) squad. We’ve had a wonderful stay here in Morocco, and that’s also one of the keys to success. There’s very little to say about the organisation, except that everything is done with the riders and horses in mind, and I think we all agree on that. This tour really matters on the international calendar and is one of the events for which we receive the most requests from French riders.”
Jeanne Sadran, meanwhile, reflected on a successful week: “All the horses jumped really well this weekend, and it was also a great way for me to get back on track. I’ve been through quite a difficult period over the past few months, during which I’d lost some confidence in myself, so it feels good to rediscover my natural feel in the saddle. Dexter is truly special, he’s an exceptional horse, and he proved it once again today. He’s in fantastic form, and we still have so much to achieve together. He’ll be my top horse for the upcoming World Cup season.”
For Morocco, newly appointed team manager Philippe Rozier was delighted with his team’s second-place finish: “When I took over as manager of the Moroccan national team, our first objective was to win a medal at the Mediterranean Games. We came away with two. The second was to get back onto the podium in a Nations Cup. What stands out to me most is the quality of riding shown by the entire team. We produced four beautiful rounds, and days like this can only help the team progress. We’re setting a great example today for the young riders watching. When you have a strong group leading the way and bringing everyone along with them, it works everywhere, in every country. Kebir had some doubts about my decision to select him for the jump-off. He wasn’t sure he was the most deserving rider to go back in, but I had absolutely no doubts.”
Abdullah Alsharbatly wins the Prix SOREC
Ahead of the Nations Cup, the CSIO4*-W riders competed in the Prix SOREC, a 1.45m Grand Prix. Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alsharbatly claimed victory aboard Atome des Etisses, stopping the clock at 45.79 seconds. The Netherlands’ Mans Thijssen finished second with Nero Z (46.20 seconds). Competing in front of his home crowd, Morocco’s Abdelkebir Ouaddar took third place aboard the 10-year-old stallion Larsino (46.89 seconds).
After two weeks of competition, the Morocco Royal Tour now heads to El Jadida for its first-ever CSI5*. For most riders, it will also mark the start of the indoor season.