The Greatest Horse Trainer on Earth (The Sylvia Zerbini Story)

Look behind the curtain and step into the ring with a master liberty trainer.

Sylvia Zerbini was born into the circus life, a ninth-generation performer who went solo as an aerialist at thirteen, what would be the beginning of a tremendous career captivating audiences from a trapeze, thirty feet above the ground. But it’s her remarkable connection with horses that propelled her to international fame. One of the first to mix aerial and equestrian showmanship, Zerbini has performed for audiences totaling nearly ten million worldwide as part of the biggest names in events and entertainment, including Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus ("The Greatest Show on Earth") and as lead trainer with Cavalia, the highly acclaimed equestrian-themed spectacular created by one of the pioneers of Cirque du Soleil. In the decades she has shared her breathtaking liberty horse acts, Sylvia Zerbini has redefined the relationship between horse and human.

In this thoughtful and uniquely portrayed retrospective, richly illustrated with over a hundred historical photographs, a story of life in the circus provides an unconventional backdrop for Zerbini’s development as an extraordinary horse trainer. By intertwining the fascinating history of circus families and their legacy of wild animal training with a sensitive exploration of the mental fortitude cultivated when you dance with danger high in the air for a living, these pages permit an unprecedented look behind the curtain at what it takes to communicate and connect with another species. In Sylvia Zerbini, we glimpse what is truly possible in partnership with the horse—a chance for all to become "the greatest horse trainer on earth."