Reinventing Moroccan Traditions: Women in Tbourida
By: Maryem Bouatlaoui / Arab America Contributing Writer
The Tbourida Tradition
Tbourida is a Moroccan equestrian tradition that dates back to the sixteenth century. A traditional tbourida performance consists of about a dozen men in identical traditional Moroccan outfits on horseback lined up in an open field, then trotting while performing acrobats with their guns. While tbourida is essential to Moroccan culture as a whole, performances mainly take place in Tadla, Doukkala-Abda, Bni-Amir, and Charquaoua.
The Tbourida performance simulates a call to war. The word tbourida derives from the word “baroud” which means gunpowder, referring to the firing into the open air when performing the stunt. At the beginning of every tbourida performance, men also hold the Quran and chant Islamic prayers.
Morocco hosts annual tbourida competitions and exhibitions. One of the most popular events in Morocco is the Tbourida Grand Prix in which participating troupes are assessed by their speed, endurance, grace, discipline, and maneuverability.
Women’s Rights Reforms in Morocco
While tbourida is a national Moroccan tradition, up until the early 2000s, tbourida was an exclusively male sport. Interestingly enough, the shift in the sport came out of the Reform of the Family Code in 2004 in Morocco. The reform granted women rights to self-guardianship, divorce, and child custody. The Reform of the Family Code not only granted women more freedom in their marital relationships but also entailed women’s liberation in the political, social, and economic spheres. In the rural regions of Morocco, women began to ride their family horses, quickly getting acquainted with equestrianism.
The Moroccan Royal Family also played a major role in shifting the gendered discourse in the tbourida tradition. Princess Lalla Amina, Hassan II’s youngest sister, became the President of the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports in 1999 until she passed away in 2012. She was an avid equestrian herself and set up national initiatives to involve women in the art of tbourida. She also launched the famous Week of the Horse, an annual tbourida show held in the capital of Morocco, Rabat.
Women in Tbourida Today
Women are continuing to redefine the tbourida space with leadership and professional women’s troupes. Afrae Ben Bih, under the New Era Horsewomen Association for Teborida Arts, is one of the leaders of the country’s traditional tbourida equestrian event. She leads events all throughout the country, in rural and urban cities.
These women, adorned in vibrant traditional attire, demonstrate remarkable horsemanship, precision, and bravery during Tbourida events. Their presence challenges traditional norms and underscores the evolving status of women in Moroccan society. Through their participation in this cultural heritage, these women not only preserve a cherished tradition but also inspire others, breaking barriers and promoting gender equality in the process.
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