Equestrian-Canadian Laliberte eyes the 'perfect' route to Paris 2024

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.

The 25-year-old, the reigning Pan American Games champion in team dressage, finished 59th on her horse Statesman in the individual Grand Prix last week in Denmark's Herning, a creditable result given she was contesting her maiden worlds.

"The opportunity to be on the international stage, in a big stadium in one of the world's best competitions is amazing. This is a step in the right direction for me," Laliberte told Reuters.

"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."

As the daughter of Guy Laliberte, who co-founded the popular Canada-based contemporary circus act Cirque du Soleil, performing were an ubiquitous part of her childhood but dressage was a late addition despite her early love for horses.

Tired of seeing Laliberte tumbling off her horse while show jumping, her worried father introduced her to a friend who had an equestrian show, which eventually allowed her to transition to the seemingly safer discipline of dressage.

"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."

The perfectionist in Laliberte eventually took a liking to dressage and while the quest for constant improvement can occasionally get tedious, she sees it as a