The 17th Salon du Cheval d’El Jadida, held Octo 13-18, is celebrating Morocco’s equestrian traditions while recognizing the artisans whose skill keeps the country’s traditional crafts alive. Maison de l’Artisan marked the occasion with awards for the best traditional saddle, traditional rifle and textile. The prizes went to Ahmed El Moufidi and Ayoub Mounir for saddle-making, Yassine Errahili and Hassan Amzil for rifle-making, and Nabiha Hamami and Amina Saissi Hassani for textiles.
Tarik Sadik, director general of Maison de l’Artisan, told Morocco World News that taking part in the Salon lets the institution introduce visitors to the diversity of Moroccan handicrafts, particularly those connected to horses and Tbourida. The competition is part of a wider effort: the institution accompanies craftspeople throughout the year through training, assessments and a labelling program for products that meet quality standards. “These competitions create momentum in the sector, especially among young people,” he said.
This year, partners in the sector awarded 171 labels to artisans, and the competition selected six winners across the three categories.
Ayoub Mounir, a saddle maker from Fez who took second place, told MWN that several artisans take part in making a saddle, each responsible for a stage. A single artisan working alone can need five to six months to finish the work.
