In a sport where experience counts for more than anything else and athletes often vie for medals well into their 40s, the world equestrian championships have come as a huge learning curve for upcoming Canadian dressage rider Naima Moreira Laliberte.
"There are so many things that could have been better and it's so hard to go mistake-free. It's a difficult sport and that's what makes it so interesting. But overall, I'm very happy. Just being there is an achievement." "I remember him taking me there and in my head I wasn't convinced. 'I was like, where is the adrenaline?'" said Laliberte."But luckily for him, I fell in love with a Lusitano horse and he became my best friend growing up."
With the intense media spotlight on the family due to her famous father, horses were like a safe haven for the young Laliberte, who often slept in the stalls on weekends.