French day in Rabat !
It was a great day for the French riders in the Moroccan capital, highlighted by the incredible comeback of Alix Ragot, winner under the lights of the Maroc Telecom Winning Round with Serafina Dbh Z. This success confirmed the fine form of the Tricolores, who had already scored a one-two earlier in the CSI1* Grand Prix of the Ministry of the Interior.
After a first round that qualified twelve finalists, they returned to the arena for the famous Winning Round, with all scores reset – a particular opportunity for the three riders carrying four faults, now competing on equal terms with the nine clears from the opening round.
Switzerland’s Noah Keller set the tone, delivering a clear round with Carina Z. Soon after, Alix Ragot and Serafina Dbh Z took the lead, setting the target time at 34.42 seconds. By contrast, six of the clear-round riders from the first phase faulted in the second and dropped down the standings. Most importantly, none of the remaining three contenders managed to beat Ragot’s benchmark.
“It was incredible,” said the young rider with a smile. “To start as one of the very last qualifiers and win with an 8-year-old mare in her very first 1.50m class… She is naturally quick, I don’t need to push her, and today she did everything perfectly. I like winning — I don’t want to finish second. So I told myself that without taking silly risks, I had every chance. In this kind of class where everything resets to zero, you just have to play the game. And she did everything to perfection.
But above all, I wanted to enjoy myself, and I really did today. Last year, she already won the CSI1 Grand Prix here, so I think she likes the atmosphere… From the age of five, she has always progressed step by step: at five she did everything right, at six she kept on developing, at seven she was still delivering. And this year, she has won several 1.45m classes, and now her very first 1.50m. We don’t yet know where her limits are, but one thing is certain: she has everything it takes to go very far.”
Before the evening’s thrilling night class, the Polish anthem was heard for the very first time in Rabat, thanks to Marek Lewicki and La Pezi. In the Accumulator, they achieved the feat of beating Emanuele Gaudiano with Chalou by 28 hundredths of a second – no small achievement, given the speed of the Chacco-Blue offspring and the Italian rider’s remarkable record at the MRT. The Accumulator seems to be something of a Polish speciality, as another compatriot of the winner, Adam Grzegorzewski with Dark Fire, completed the podium.
One-star Grand Prix: French double
After an opening Moroccan win for Youssef Salmeron —in fact a Moroccan treble in the first class of the day—attention turned to the most important contest of the CSI1*, the Grand Prix of the Ministry of the Interior. A classic format: Table A with jump-off, with thirty-nine riders on the start list.
Once again, Uliano Vezzani produced a masterclass. Taking into account the line-up, he built a course of twelve obstacles and fifteen efforts at 1.40 m with great subtlety, offering a sporting spectacle where the horses could really express themselves. But “horse-friendly” did not mean easy: every line, almost every fence, posed a little technical challenge to solve. Faults were spread across the whole course, and it took until the twelfth rider before the first clear round came—delivered by Morocco’s Youssef Salmeron on his 9-year-old Belgian stallion Quint V/D Kruishoeve, no doubt still energized by his earlier win in the day.
Seven riders later, a second clear secured the promise of a jump-off, this time from France’s Florent Jeannin, already a winner in Tetouan, with his 8-year-old mare Chica de Bourguignon Z. The contest was on!
The second half of the first round brought more clears. In the end, seven riders finished faultless, but only five went through to the jump-off, after withdrawals from Yassine Laklach (MAR) and Nathalie Mack (FRA). Two Moroccans, two French riders and a Swiss would battle it out for the one-star top class over a shortened track of six obstacles, including two new fences and the original double, leading into a long gallop down to the final oxer.
Youssef Salmeron set the standard in 38.09 seconds but left one fence down. Florent Jeannin improved on both speed (36.49) and accuracy, producing a clear. Then came Jérémy Le Roy who stopped the clock at 35.94 seconds with his 10-year-old Selle Français mare Falkira de Mormoulins. The French double was secured.
This mare had already shown form in Rabat, finishing third in the Prix ANCFCC on Thursday morning – a class won by Nathalie Mack, both Le Roy’s partner in the stables and in life, with Baccara de l’Aubépine. This time, she carried Jérémy to his first victory at Rabat. Morocco’s El Ghali Boukaa completed the podium with his promising 7-year-old mare Special Edition de Muze.
For Jérémy Le Roy, this was his first participation as a rider at the MRT, but not his first experience: “I had the chance to coach the riders of the Royal Guard three years ago. We took part in the MRT then, and I loved the experience. So this year, when the opportunity came, we decided to come back with pleasure. ‘We’ means Nathalie Mack, my partner, and Guillaume Batillat (who is competing in the 4*), my best friend. We loaded the truck and drove down together to do all three stages. It’s really a team adventure.”
Well known as a developer of young horses, Jérémy wanted to see how far Falkira de Mormoulins could go beyond the 7-year-old classes: “Yes, exactly, we have many young horses at home. This one we bought with my owner, Didier Briaud, because we really liked her. She has plenty of character, but she’s also extremely competitive. We decided to keep her to enjoy ourselves and see how far she could go. She’s by Cornet Obolensky, a stallion I adore. She has superb technique, excellent movements in front and behind, and plenty of scope. She wins very regularly, and today she proved it once again. We are really happy with her.”
His assessment of Vezzani’s track echoed our own: “It was a very interesting course. Not necessarily huge, but very technical, with possible options in several places. Out of 41 starters, there were 7 clears – just under a quarter – which is a good average. No, really, a course that was a pleasure to ride.”
His victory, he explained, came thanks to the natural speed of his mare while following exactly the same line as the rider before him : “I was lucky to go last. I watched the four riders before me, I copied the same track as the one right before me, and I knew I could do it.”
He then left the press room with his little daughter Juliette in his arms, a charming baby of just a few months, who had sat quietly throughout the interview.
All eyes now turn to tomorrow’s Nations Cup, the undisputed highlight of the Rabat weekend. Ten teams representing three continents will line up to challenge for the title: who will succeed Saudi Arabia, last year’s winners? On the brand-new footing at Dar Es Salam, riders will combine individual brilliance with team strategy in pursuit of victory. With Saudi Arabia already in great form since the start of the Morocco Royal Tour, the stage is set for an intense showdown – and Morocco dreams more than ever of lifting “its” Nations Cup at home.
Prix Maroc Telecom, CSIO-W 4*, Winning Round, 1,50 m
- Alix Ragot, FRA – Serafina Dbh Z 4-0/34.42
- Luiz Felipe Neto de Azevedo, BRA – Quibus Van Olv Hove 0-0/35.19
- Noah Keller, SUI – Carina Z 4-0/35.30
- Mans Thijssen, NED – Looking For You 0-0/35.3
- Stanislas de Malet, FRA – Geisha de Riverland 0-0/37.49
Grand Prix du ministère de l’Intérieur, CSI1* 1,40 m, Table A with Jump-Off
- Jérémy Le Roy, FRA – Falkira de Mormoulins 0-0/35.94
- Florent Jeannin, FRA – Chica de Bourguignon Z 0-0/36.49
- El Ghali Boukaa, MAR – Special Edition de Muze 0-0/37.95
- Thibaut Keller, SUI – Sunshine ‘H’ 0-0/39.22
- Youssef Salmeron, MAR – Quint V/D Kruishoeve 0-4/38.09
Prix CDG, CSI1*, Table A with Jump-Off, 1,25 m
- Youssef Salmeron, MAR – Quadina de Muze 0-0/35.12
- Badr Khiati, MAR – Iggy Pop d’Asschaut 0-0/36.25
- Mohammed Azoum, MAR – Numax 0-0/36.49
- Finn Boerekamp, NED – Non Fictie 0-0/36.52
- Rayane El Ouarzazi, MAR – Carousa 2 0-0/37.20
Prix CNOM – CSIO4*-W – Accumulator – 1.45m
- Marek Lewicki, POL – La Pezi 65/46.65
- Emanuele Gaudiano, ITA – Chalou 65/46.93
- Adam Grzegorzewski, POL – Dark Fire 65/48.68
- El Ghali Boukaa, MAR – Kiss Me Blue PS 65/48.96
5. Yassine Laklach, MAR – Dimanor 65/50.70