Simon Delestre wins Royal Armed Forces Prize in Morocco

French showjumper Simon Delestre secured victory in the €28,500 Royal Armed Forces Prize during the second day of the Morocco Royal Tour in Tétouan. Competing in the CSI4*-W 1.45m speed class, Delestre rode the 10-year-old mare Oh Sissi to a winning time of 66.81 seconds.

The competition, which served as a qualifier for Sunday’s Grand Prix, featured 50 horse-and-rider combinations. Delestre finished ahead of Colombia’s Santiago Diaz Ortega, who took second place with Jump For Joy (67.23 seconds), and Ireland’s Niamh McEvoy, who placed third with Jargon DN (67.29 seconds).

Course designer Grégory Bodo noted that the 1.45m height was slightly lower than the typical 1.50m for a four-star qualifier, aiming to allow horses to establish a rhythm. The event resulted in 16 clear rounds.