Equestrian Tbourida or Fantasia festival is one of the most authentic cultural events in Morocco and a serious sport for the rural Berbers. The traditional equestrian competition was made famous by the French artists Eugène Delacroix who immortalized it in his painting Fantasia Arabe in 1833. In 2019, Tbourida was nominated to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Tbourida features a few competitions with traditional weapons. All riders wear Berber clothes. The teams represent various villages and have to compete in the synchronicity of riding the horses and shooting the gunpowder jezail muskets well above their heads. To win the annual competition between different remote villages would mean the cash prize and the bragging rights.
Visitors can see Arab horse Fantasia or Tbourida during seasonal Moussem religious festivities that happen every year. However, these festivals change their location, so to find one will require some effort and local connections, They usually happen in early autumn.
The annual Tbourida competition also takes place at Royal Complexe des Sports Equestres Dar Es Salam, in Rabat every June. Teams representing over 20 towns and villages of Morocco compete for the royal trophy: Trophée Hassan II des arts équestres traditional.
