The 14th edition of the International Mata Festival brought together hundreds of riders from June 12 to 14 in an ancestral competition without a mount under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohamed VI. Zohra once again took a prominent place in the competition alongside the amazona who has taken up the mantle of her example. Both were the only visible women in a competition where recognition is not based on gender but on skill, endurance and mastery of the horse.
David López del Moral
More than a hundred riders participate each year in the ancestral race of Mata, one of the most unique equestrian competitions in the world.
Photography: Piedad López Nieto.
There are places where the horse is a sport. There are others where it is a tradition. And a few where it remains, simply, a way of understanding life.
That is what Mata Moussem again proves every year, the extraordinary equestrian festival held in the small village of Zniyed, in the Moroccan province of Larache, whose fourteenth edition has just concluded leaving images difficult to forget for any lover of the horse world.
From June 12 to 14, hundreds of riders from different tribes in northern Morocco gathered again under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohamed VI and the presidency of Nabil Baraka, to keep alive one of the most unique equestrian competitions on the planet. A race where there are no saddles, no obstacles, and no timers. Here the challenge is another: galloping at full speed among a crowd of horses unleashed at full speed to capture a rag doll known as Mata.
The Mata doll, handmade by the women of the region, is the central symbol of the competition.
Photography: Piedad López Nieto.
A tradition that has its roots in centuries of history and has managed to survive modernity without losing its essence.
The visitor who arrives in Zniyed quickly discovers that Mata is not just a competition. It is a total celebration of the horse. For three days, the vast plaza surrounding the venue transforms into an ephemeral city of stables, makeshift horse stables, and encounters between breeders, riders, and entire families who come to pay tribute to an animal that is inseparable from the cultural identity of the region.
For three days, Zniyed transforms into a great popular celebration where culture, tradition and passion for horses coexist.
Photography: Piedad López Nieto.
The main test remains a fascinating spectacle even for those who have toured the great international equestrian stages. More than a hundred Berber and Arab-Berber horses gather in a cloud of dust as the participants fight to get their hands on the precious doll. There are no pre-determined teams or strategies. Only valor, skill, balance, and an absolute connection between horse and rider.
The winner does not just win a trophy. He or she gains the recognition of an entire community.
Zohra, the amazona who opened a new era
A pioneer among the amazons of the festival, Zohra has helped pave the way for a new generation of women in the ancestral race of Mata.
Photography: Piedad López Nieto.
If there is a figure that symbolizes Mata's evolution in recent years, it is Zohra.
For a long time, her image galloping through the crowd of dozens of riders became one of the most recognizable scenes of the festival. Thanks to her skill, courage, and deep knowledge of horses, Zohra earned the respect of her peers and spectators until she became a true reference within the competition.
But perhaps one of the most significant achievements of her career is that she no longer rides alone today.
In this 14th edition, another young amazona took over the baton in the grand race, making them both the only women present in a competition where prestige is won exclusively over the horse. Their presence reflects the continuity of a path opened years ago and Mata’s ability to transmit her values to new generations of riders and amazonas without losing their essence.
Behind this evolution lies the work carried out by the Alamiya Laaroussia Association for Cultural and Social Action, chaired by Nabila Baraka, whose work has been fundamental both in preserving this ancestral tradition and in projecting its future.
Watching Zohra run alongside someone whom many already consider her sporting heir is one of the most symbolic images of contemporary Mata: that of a living tradition that continues to write its history generation after generation.
A equestrian heritage with an international vocation
The International Mata Festival is under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohamed VI and attracts visitors from many countries every year.
Photography: Piedad López Nieto.
For decades, Mata risked disappearing. Like so many rural traditions, it suffered the impact of the social and economic changes of the second half of the 20th century.
However, thanks to the work carried out by the Baraka family and numerous Moroccan cultural institutions, the festival has regained extraordinary vitality and has become a worldwide reference. Currently, it works to consolidate the recognition of this legacy as a cultural heritage of global significance. Mata is a meeting of cultures that this year, in 2026, inaugurated the first Business Forum for Peace, the “Eli Morocco Forum”, as part of the festival.
The 2026 edition has once again demonstrated the growing international interest in the event. Diplomats, researchers, institutional representatives, and foreign visitors flocked to Zniyed to discover a unique cultural manifestation that combines equestrian sports, music, crafts, gastronomy, and spiritual heritage.
An essential appointment for equestrian tourism
In an era when many travelers seek authentic experiences linked to the horse, Mata Moussem offers something increasingly difficult to find: a living tradition.
When evening falls on Zniyed, the spirit of Mata continues to ride amidst tradition, memory, and a passion for horses.
Photography: Piedad López Nieto.
Just a few hours flight from Spain, the north of Morocco offers a complete immersion in a different equestrian culture, where the horse continues to occupy the center of social life.
Mata is not a show created for tourism. It is a celebration created by and for its own protagonists.
That is precisely why it is so fascinating.
And that is precisely why it deserves a prominent place on the agenda of any European enthusiast who wants to discover some of the deepest and most genuine roots of the relationship between humans and horses.
“In a world that moves ever faster, Mata continues to remind us of something essential: that some stories can only be told on horseback.”
David López del Moral
