Blending aerial work with her unique Liberty equine act, ninth-generation circus artist Sylvia Zerbini commands both the ethereal realms of the air and her magnificent herd of Arabian and Andalusian horses.

“I love doing both,” she says. “Combining these skills provides the mental challenge of working with the horses and the physical challenge of the trapeze.”

But how is Sylvia able to negotiate land and air so freely, leading her stable in their stunning routine while perched in midair? “These horses perform so freely because I am very protective of them,” she explains. “Once you earn their trust, they will do anything for you. And the exciting thing for me about this show is that the horses will come into the arena while I am in the air on the lyra. Audiences will see the horses running around, playing in the ring on their own, as if they are saying, “This is our world.”

Sylvia has been a featured performer on three prior Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey.® productions. Her 13-year-old daughter, Ambra, is carrying on the rich family tradition; she loves being around horses and helping her mother during the act.