Equestrian: For Abdelkebir Ouaddar, passion for horses doesn’t age

"Going to the Olympic Games is the goal of every athlete, it’s something just magnificent."

For Abdelkebir Ouaddar, as for so many others, the magic of the Olympics is everlasting.

Since he was a child and discovered equestrian, he has always been driven by the desire to take part in the Olympics. Four decades and two Games later, time hasn't changed his mind about the magic of the quadrennial extravaganza, and affected even less his love for horses.

"I always dreamed of going to the Olympic Games when I was a kid, even when I was riding with Sharif Moulay Abdallah Alaoui. We were young, maybe 10 or 12 years, and every time we were talking about competitions, I was saying to him ‘the day I start equestrian, I would like to go to the Olympic Games’," recalled the Moroccan in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com.

This dream came true in Rio 2016 with a 49th-place finish in individual jumping. He was even the flag-bearer of the Moroccan team in Brazil, a proud moment for the athlete who was 54 years old at the time.

Such an accomplishment prompted him to continue on the journey by taking part in Tokyo 2020, and it’s not over yet, even if he didn’t manage to obtain an individual quota for Paris 2024 because Istanbul, his horse, got injured.

The rider from Aït Ourir isn’t afraid to wait until Los Angeles 2028 before chasing his Olympic destiny again.

"We shouldn’t give up, we have to keep going, equestrian is like that. If we don’t manage to qualify for the next Olympic Games, then we’ll try again four years later. I will really prepare myself for Los Angeles 2028 and I hope for a team quota like in Tokyo 2020," said Ouaddar in November, before the end of the qualification period for France.

• How to qualify for equestrian jumping in Paris 2024

Abdelkebir Ouaddar’s journey shows that everything is possible

Abdelkebir Ouaddar will celebrate his 66th birthday the day after the Opening Ceremony of LA28 but can he make his career last that long?

With his journey having already gone down in history – at Rio 2016, he became the first Moroccan rider to take part in the Olympic Games in Jumping – longevity doesn’t seem to be the most difficult obstacle to overcome.

It would have been hard to imagine such a future for the man who grew up near Marrakech, as equestrian wasn’t affordable for Kebir when he was a kid.

But destiny chose to put him on a horse.

"I had the luck to be raised by the late Princess Lallah Fatima Zohra, the sister of Hassan II, the King of Morocco. She is the one who introduced me to equestrian with her kids," he explained.

To this day, he is still grateful to the Royal Family of Morocco. Their support offered him the opportunity to become an Olympian, an incredible diversion for someone who thought for a long time that he would become a sports teacher.

Thanks to them, he has been able to work with four-time Olympian Nelson Pessoa, and to have Marcel Rozier, the 1976 Olympic champion, as a coach. He has learnt to love horses and the sense of speed from the Brazilian, and how to prepare his horse before competition from Frenchman Rozier.

With those lessons and his experiences, he has achieved impressive results in prestigious events such as victory at the Grand Prix du Saut Hermès in 2016, held at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Time has come for Abdelkebir Ouaddar to pass on his passion

Over time, positions have changed.

Now, Abdelkebir Ouaddar is the inspiration for the youth, especially the ones who can’t afford to ride horses.

The Moroccan never forgets where he comes from and even after spending most of his time in France, and competing around the world, he finds time to manage a stable at home, near Marrakech.

It is here he shares his passion with the next generation by giving them the chance to discover equestrian.

"There are 96 kids who come to practice for free. Once a week, I have one or two schools with kids with disabilities who also come. You can’t imagine how happy those kids are when they are on a horse. For me, that means the world, it’s truly amazing," he explained, with emotion shaking his voice.

Sharing his love of the sport is important for him, it’s a true part of his dream.

By giving the same opportunity to young kids that he received himself, he conveys a love of horses developed over the years from a young boy initially fearful of their power.

And who knows, maybe one day, more Moroccans will make their Olympic dream come true, and it will be thanks to Kebir.