Your victory in the Rolex Grand Prix at CHI Geneva – your second Major there after 2017 with Gazelle – once again made you the Rolex Grand Slam live Contender heading into The Dutch Masters. How did this win compare to your first, and what does it mean to return to ’s-Hertogenbosch in that position?

KF: Winning a Major on any horse always feels great. The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is the highest level – it's the pinnacle in our sport in terms of competition and prestige. These Majors are my favourite shows to compete at, and that's what really motivates me in the sport. After I won my first Major with Gazelle, I actually got hurt. I broke my leg, and I wasn't able to compete at The Dutch Masters that year as I was still recovering. So, this is a new challenge.

Being the live contender inevitably brings a different spotlight. Does that add pressure heading into a Major like The Dutch Masters, or is your mindset unchanged?

KF: Being the live Contender doesn't bring more pressure for me. I already put enough pressure on myself. If I'm the live Contender, I'm not the live Contender – I want to win just as bad anyway. So actually, for me, it doesn't really change anything. All these Major shows are great challenges all by themselves. So that's what I'm focused on.

Looking ahead to The Dutch Masters, which horse are you planning to ride in the Rolex Grand Prix – and what makes that partnership the right one for this particular test?

KF: I'm bringing Toulayna – I rode her here last year, and she went great. I had a cheap fault, and I ended up fifth with one down. It’s a very difficult course, but she's fast and a great competitor. I've ridden her two times in the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final and I've been second both times. Hopefully we can go one position better here and get a win.

’s-Hertogenbosch has a very particular atmosphere – tight indoor arena, technical tracks, an incredibly knowledgeable crowd. How does that environment shape the way you ride and prepare?

KF: I think the four Majors we have in show jumping are a little bit different in terms of venue and they present strengths and weaknesses for different horses. So, I don't think I prepare any differently. I think I just have to bring the right horse and have the right day. So, this year, I hope I’ve brought the right horse, and hopefully I'll have the right day!

You’ve been competing in Florida and California to start the 2026 season. How are the horses feeling, and how close are they to peak form?

KF: I’ve been competing in Florida, and my form has been good, but I wouldn’t say great. I’ve had a fifth, a second, a fourth – some good results, but not great results. Hopefully that's a good thing and we're just waiting to hit peak form.

Wilfried Sandmann once said of Greya: “She had her own ideas and needed a certain amount of freedom… she found the perfect match in Kent.” What does “freedom” mean in practical terms when you ride and train Greya, and how have you adapted your system to suit her personality?

KF: I think she’s just a super sensitive horse. I think it's that she has enough freedom to have her own character. And I would say our sport – the horse and rider – is the ultimate team sport. It's just you and your horse and the bond that you have with that horse. I think it's just about understanding the horse – in this case with Greya, she’s just a super careful, very strong-willed horse. So, you have to find a way to work with her, as she's going to be your partner in whatever you do. And you have to find a way that you're both able to compete together. I think that it's more about understanding her sensitivities to things, whether that's noise or bright colours or whatever it is and adapting the training to give her confidence.

Wilfried Sandmann believed that where a horse ends up – and with which rider – can define its career. What responsibility do you feel in shaping a horse’s legacy, especially with one as talented and distinctive as Greya?

KF: I think ultimately there's a reason you see a lot of the top people remaining unchanged for many years – it’s because they understand horses. How good a horse can be often depends on whose hands it's in, especially a super talented horse. Many of them go by the by the wayside, as they’re not really given a proper chance at high level competition. I don't know that I feel a responsibility for a horse's legacy, I just try to do the best that I can, try to be the best horseman that I can, and constantly work to improve.

With Greya, Toulayna and Orafina in your string, you have real depth. How different are they to ride, and how do you decide which one is ready for which moment?

KF: The reality is you never have enough good horses; you always need new ones coming up in the team. Just like a professional sports team, you always have to have some younger players that are learning the game and managing the older players as best you ca. And as they get older, you start to understand which venues suit them best, which type of environments they're going to succeed in, when they need a rest, are they better off competing more often, are they better off having a big break before a big competition. Each horse is going to be different, and I think over time you get better at it and as the horses age, you also understand them more and you learn what's best for each one and you adapt the plan as you go. So, I think that there's no set rule on it, it's just using your judgement and your experience and what you know about the horse to make the best plan for each one.

You also own the young mare Diakatisa. When you look at a developing horse like her, what tells you she might have the qualities to compete at the highest level?

KF: I have a bunch of young horses, and I see something in all of them, but potential and seeing that through to fruition are two very different things. Because ultimately all the talent in the world won't get you anywhere if the horse doesn't have the right brain or the willingness and desire. We call it heart to really want to do the sport – some will and some won't and that's the one thing that you can't really measure. So, I try to pick a bunch of talented horses and produce them to the best of my abilities and in the end the horses decide how much they really want to do the sport and that's really hard to measure.

Behind every Major win is a great team. Who are your key people behind the scenes, and how do they help you and your horses perform at the highest level?

KF: I have a huge team. I have Denise Moriarty and Arthur Anty that have taken care of my horses for years. Denise has been with me, I think more than 10 years, maybe closer to 15, and she’s been around the world multiple times. These are great horse people. They're in charge of all of the daily care and management of the horses, knowing how they feel and look on a daily basis. The horses are like professional athletes – these guys are experts at helping each horse and manage everything from their diet to their different therapies and exercises. They are very valuable to my team.

Then there's the whole logistics team at home, putting that all together. We have to run this like any other professional sport or professional business. There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of things to get taken care of. There’s a big team of people in my office from Carol DeAngelis, who's been with me for more than 15 years. There's many, many moving parts. I have Claudio Baroni, who helps me ride and train – he's also been with me for more than 15 years and he’s a great horseman and a great rider. He's a good set of eyes on the ground for me. Without these people, it's not possible to win at the highest level.