Tetouan Sun Shines Upon Ines Joly & Pegasus Bandit Savoie

By Jumper News on 2024-09-22

Tétouan, Morocco – September 22, 2024 – They say “Saturdays are for the boys,” but Sunday was definitely for the ladies during this edition of the Morocco Royal Tour, and the star of Tetouan was none other than French favorite Ines Joly (FRA) aboard the brilliant grey gelding, 10-year-old Pegasus Bandit Savoie.

A packed house, a gentle, late afternoon sun, and 36 of the world’s most elite combinations in international show jumping set the stage for the €106,000 HRH The Crowned Prince Moulay El Hassan Grand Prix CSI 4*-W – 1.50m. Prince Moulay Abdallah, MRT and Royal Moroccan Federation President, watched on as Joly put together a foot-perfect first round over the Louis Konickx (NED) track for this spectacular World Cup Qualifier.

**Ines Joly** (FRA) & **Pegasus** **Bandit Savoie**

Her second MRT tour, Joly was primed and ready to kick it up a gear and take her first Grand Prix CSI 4*, and neither friend nor foe would stand in her way. Joly, the penultimate rider, clocked a rhythmical yet efficient 51.14 seconds.

“It’s the first time I tried to really push him, and I haven’t been riding him for so long, so I didn’t know his behavior in the jump-off…but he is always giving his best, during the whole week of competition in Tetouan he didn’t touch a pole,” said Joly.

Switzerland’s Bryan Balsiger (SUI) perhaps tried a little bit too hard to chase her time aboard his top horse, PSG Starlight, and collected a rail. Yet, we can expect he too is happy for Joly.

**Prince Moulay Abdallah** bestows the award upon **Ines Joly** (FRA)

“Bryan is a good friend, but we are good competitors, we push each other, and we fight for it in the ring. Actually, he was faster than me, but I was lucky because he had one down,” laughed Joly, who was both fast and careful during this afternoon.

“The most important thing with this horse is to keep confident. I don’t jump very big, I just try to keep him happy and without stress, because he is a really shy horse so I have to be careful not to do too much. A lot of times you think you have to jump big in the warm-up, but for this one 1.30-1.35m is good enough,” Joly explained, going on to discuss her own preparation. “I actually have a mental coach, and I am really well-surrounded. I have a great team and they always push me to go further and to fight every day.”

And fight she did!

Final Results – €106,000 HRH The Crowned Prince Moulay El Hassan Grand Prix CSI 4*-W – 1.50m

1) Ines Joly (FRA) & Pegasus Bandit Savoie – 0 / 0 – 51.14

2) Khaled Almobty (KSA) & Spacecake – 0 0 – 51.44

3) Teresa Blazquez – Abascal (ESP) & Nasa de Toxandria – 0 / 0 – 52.31

FULL RESULTS

Source: Press Release by Pascal Renauldon / Agence R&B Presse for Morocco Royal Tour