João is one of those quietly spoken, hard working gentle souls who loves his horses and loves his art. Having represented his country at European Championships and Worlds, the top Portuguese rider finally reached the peak in 2024 where he went to Paris. Unfortunately whilst at the venue, his Olympic dreams were dashed in the most awful circumstances with the illness of his stallion Drosa Fürst Kennedy. But the pair have worked their way back to the top to win 2025 Wiesbaden CDI4* before competing as part of the first ever Portuguese team at CHIO Aachen. João and Kennedy's partnership began when the horse was two and a half and the pair’s star continues to rapidly rise. It’s a real story of overcoming adversity with your best friend. Their bond is obvious. We talk about this horse of a lifetime, the daily work and the secret of his success, wife Marta with whom he runs a successful horse business in Germany…..and what is Kyra Kyrklund’s mantra?