The 17th Salon du Cheval d'El Jadida is set to take place from October 13-18 in El Jadida, Morocco. The annual event will bring together equestrian competitions, conferences, exhibitions, and Tbourida performances. This year's edition will feature two evenings of equestrian performances on October 16-17, showcasing a mix of riding, music, acrobatics, and tradition.
The Equestrian Nights will add a theatrical dimension to the program, combining riding skills with music, choreography, lights, and live performance. Five Moroccan and international troupes will participate in the event, bringing distinct riding traditions and performance styles from Morocco and abroad. The troupes will perform in Arena 1, turning the equestrian traditions into a live experience that reaches well beyond the competition arena.
France's Compagnie Impulsion, founded by artist Ghislain Cayla, will bring a performance built around several equestrian disciplines. The troupe will move between Cossack riding, liberty dressage, and the Hungarian post, putting control, balance, and agility at the center of its show. This performance will showcase the versatility and skill of the riders and horses.
The Moroccan side of the program will feature the SOREC Equestrian Arts Academy, which will draw on the country's own riding heritage. Moroccan horses and riders will take center stage as the academy gives traditional equestrian elements a contemporary performance setting. The Auxiliary Forces – Northern Region will offer another distinctly Moroccan performance, focusing on coordinated formations, precision, ceremonial uniforms, and the discipline associated with Morocco's military equestrian traditions.
Pride of Portugal will bring the traditions of the country's classical riding school to El Jadida, featuring Lusitano horses, a breed closely associated with Portuguese equestrian heritage and classical dressage. French troupe Charivari will take a more playful approach, combining equestrian skills with acrobatics, dance, and humor, turning dressage and liberty work into a theatrical show.
The contrast between the five troupes gives the Equestrian Nights much of their appeal. Each performance approaches the relationship between horse and rider differently, whether through classical riding, acrobatics, theatrical storytelling, or Moroccan traditions. The event allows audiences to see how different countries have developed their own ways of celebrating the bond between horse and rider.
The Salon du Cheval d'El Jadida reflects the wider role horses continue to play in cultural life. Across different traditions, equestrian arts carry elements of history, craftsmanship, discipline, and collective identity. The event offers Morocco an opportunity to place its equestrian heritage alongside international traditions, showcasing its rich cultural heritage to a wider audience.
Key points
- The 17th Salon du Cheval d'El Jadida will feature equestrian competitions, conferences, exhibitions, and performances from October 13-18.
- The Equestrian Nights will showcase a mix of riding, music, acrobatics, and tradition from five Moroccan and international troupes.
- The event reflects the wider role horses continue to play in cultural life, highlighting the bond between horse and rider across different traditions.
