Moroccan rider Slaoui hopes her performances at Paris Olympics inspires others to become equestrians

By JEROME PUGMIRE The Associated Press

CORRECTS FAMILY NAME Morocco's Noor Slaoui riding Cash In Hand, competes in the Equestrian Jumping, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Versailles, France. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mosa'ab Elshamy]

VERSAILLES, France (AP) — Noor Slaoui hopes her performances in eventing at the Paris Olympics will resonate in Morocco and and inspire others to take up the sport she loves. The 29-year-old Slaoui broke new ground at the Paris Games as the first Arab to compete in Olympic eventing. She says she’s hoping to be able to bring “more inclusivity” into the sport. She finished her Olympic experience with jumping, the third and final part of eventing. After jumping under clear blue skies on her 11-year-old grey horse Cash In Hand, she waved to the cheering crowd at the Palace of Versailles. Slaoui says “being at the Olympics is a dream come true.”