Nicola Philippaerts: "You can doubt yourself, it helps you to improve and work on your skillset as a rider!"

Anthony: growing up as the youngest of the Philippaerts brothers

For Anthony, the biggest arenas in the world started as something he watched from the side, with the family. "When I used to go and watch my father at the biggest shows, it was only a dream. Aachen, for example. You dream every day of experiencing something like that." Being the little brother has its advantages. "I think few people can say they've been in the sport like this, with three brothers and their father. They have so much knowledge. They're all a bit older than me and have a lot more experience. I try to listen and learn from what they know.

" Following in three brothers' footsteps also brings some pressure, he admits, but it is something you learn to live with. "I try to do my own thing, follow my own path, and let everything come to me."

Thibault: following in big footsteps

Riding at five-star level every week was always Thibault's dream, and over the past year it has more and more become his reality. When he talks about his role models, he doesn't need to look far from home: "I always look up to Olivier, Nicola, my father." 

What surprised him was the mental side. "What I wasn't quite prepared for was the mental pressure. Every week, again and again and again." Being away from home so often, with the feeling that it has to happen now, can be tiring. A bad week affects his mood too, and in a family of riders, everyone knows that feeling. "But then on Monday you just flip the switch and start working towards the next goal." The goals are big: championships and, one day, the Olympic Games.

Nicola: always keep learning

Nicola's mindset is one of constant improvement. "I think it's very important to keep learning until the end of your career, and to be critical of yourself: where can you improve, and how?" Doubting yourself now and then, he says, is completely normal. 

Every horse is different, so the job is to bring out each horse's strongest qualities and build on them. His advice for competition day is simple: prepare well, so you feel good and relaxed, and so you can give your horse confidence. "When you arrive at a show, you want to ride with peace of mind, knowing you've prepared everything as well as possible, and simply trust your horse." That preparation starts at home, long before the warm-up ring, from reliable horse boots that protect every jump to a solid recovery routine after the last class.

Olivier: one family recognising another

Olivier's connection with Kentucky goes back further than he can remember. "I've known Kentucky for a very long time. I first worked with Thomas and Kentucky more than ten years ago." In recent years, that relationship has grown into a partnership on a completely different level. 

For Olivier, it is a match between two families. Claudi and Thomas built Kentucky Horsewear around their own family, and the Philippaerts recognise themselves in that. "As a family business, we stand behind the products, the style of the brand and its character. It fits really well with what we like to see and what we believe our horses need."

The Philippaerts x Kentucky story continues.

In our next chapter, we look towards the future and the next generation of the Philippaerts family. Discover how a shared passion for horses, family values and years of experience are shaping the riders of tomorrow, as a new generation follows in the family's footsteps.

Next: The Next Generation — carrying the family passion forward.