The Moroccan tradition of Tbourida, also known as Fantasia, is the ceremonial reenactment of a wartime cavalry charge. It is a celebration of the region's history and the bond between horse and rider.
The equestrian representation is a sequence of military parades which are reconstructed in accordance with ancestral Arab-Amazigh customs and rituals. Also practiced in other North African countries, Tbourida dates back to the eighth century and the Islamic golden age. Similar cavalry maneuvers were performed in joust-style warrior ceremonies attended by kings and sultans.
The custom of firing guns was added later, as gunpowder was introduced to the region in the early 13th century. Eventually, the tradition attracted foreign adventurers, like French painter Eugene Delacroix, who visited Morocco in 1832 and was enchanted by the Fantasia games. He introduced them to the Europeans through his paintings.
Each Tbourida is performed by a troupe of 15 to 25 riders and horses. They line up side by side, with the leader in the middle. The riders often give spiritual significance to the event by performing ablutions and collective prayer before the parade, which is divided into two parts.
One is the hadda, which is a salute. The riders enter the course at a trot and perform an acrobatic arms drill, then move back to the starting line. The second is talqa, in which the troupes set off at a gallop, firing blank rounds from their rifles, preparing to leave for war.
The riders wear period costumes and accessories, including turbans, draped clothing, and oriental slippers. They also carry a piece of the Koran and an ancient Arab sword. The horses' bridles and saddles are fashioned from material sewn and decorated according to traditional methods. The riders' traditional costumes represent their tribe or region.
From generation to generation, the art of Tbourida is handed down through families, oral traditions, and observation. Because the Tbourida puts the horse, a sacred animal of Islam, at the center of a breathtaking and impressive spectacle, it retains a strong spiritual dimension.
Traditionally, the Tbourida is performed at weddings and harvest festivals all over Morocco. As a national sport, both the Arab and Berber communities participate. This stylized war game is still performed at weddings and harvest festivals today.
Although Tbourida has been dominated by men for centuries, women riders are now participating. The Tbourida festival in 2004 was the first time women rode in Morocco's history. Women wear bright colors, while men wear white linen robes. The horses are also decorated elaborately, with hand-embroidered breast collars and saddles.