The Greatest Horse Trainer on Earth (Pre-Order)

Coming December 2025

The biography of the ninth-generation circus performer whose astounding liberty horse performances have entertained millions and redefined what’s possible between horse and human. 

In 1793, a crowd gathered around a wooden ring in Philadelphia to watch a young nation’s first multi-act circus performance, where new Americans were dazzled by the exotic talents of traveling entertainers, including a trick rider and an acrobat. Canvas tents, the Transcontinental Railroad, and entrepreneurial capitalists would, over time, transform this inaugural “circus” into an American cultural institution that entertained millions of people for almost two centuries under the name of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Equestrianism and acrobatics would remain favorite highlights, captivating audiences, decade after decade. 

Sylvia Zerbini was born into this circus life, the daughter of an Italian horse and wild animal trainer and a French aerialist, a child of a ninth-generation circus family. By age 12, Zerbini was part of a six-person trapeze troupe, and she went solo as an aerialist at 14. But it was her remarkable connection with animals, in particular horses, that would propel her to international fame. Her breathtaking liberty horse acts, often incorporating up to 16 Arabians, defy what even the most sensitive and practiced horsemen can accomplish. Using her breath, her body, and vocal communications spoken in French, she and her horses compose a dance as beautiful as it is unusual to witness.

One of the first people to mix aerial acts and equestrian showmanship, Zerbini has performed for nearly 10 million people around the world, appearing in such lauded venues as Madison Square Garden in New York City, Playa De Americas in Mexico City, Molsen Center in Montreal, and the Staples Center in Los Angeles. In 1999 and 2000, her acts were main features for Barnum’s Kaleidoscope, a contemporary circus staged by the owners of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, as well as the main Circus’s run, from 2002 to 2004. Beginning in 2008, she toured for three years as head trainer with Cavalia, the highly acclaimed equestrian-themed spectacular created by one of the pioneers of Cirque du Soleil. 

In this thoughtful retrospective, the history of the circus life is intertwined with the story of Zerbini’s development as a most extraordinary horse trainer. Exploring the language of wild animal training and how its legacy informed her early interactions with different species helps illuminate her particular talents with the equines who have been part of her astounding acts. Readers discover how she came to understand each gesture and each spoken cue she uses, and what they mean to the horses she cares for and performs with. Featuring over 100 historical and personal photographs, this is an illuminating story of a committed athlete, dedicated artist, and fascinating personality, and for horse lovers, it is a peek behind the curtain of what is truly possible.

Author: Rebecca M. Didier

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 304

Illustrations: 75 b/w and color photographs

ISBN: 9781646012404