Not just Bartolo, the liberty artist who enchants CAVALLUNA audiences year after year, but also his brother Luciano has dedicated his life to horses. Like Bartolo, he lives on the small and rocky Italian island of Ischia. The horses live as family members right next to the house and share their accommodation with many other animals, whether they are dogs, chickens or donkeys. The driveway to the small farm is so steep that it would make us normal people definitely break out in a sweat, but of course a native Ischian is not really fazed by this. The Messinas have worked hard to build a small riding arena into the mountainside, where they practise diligently for the shows. Despite the special lifestyle at home, the horses and ponies are always relaxed at the shows – after all, they know show life by heart.