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Cirque Ma'Ceo brings centuries of equestrian entertainment to Del Mar Horsepark I come from a traditional equestrian circus family going back about 200 years on both sides," says Olissio Zoppe, creator and director of the live equestrian show titled Cirque Ma'Ceo. With a remarkable circus performing lineage that traces eight generations on his father's side and nine on his mother's, it was, of course, inevitable that Zoppe would carry their legacy forward. His Cirque Ma'Ceo, which features 17 horses as well as performance artists including Zoppe himself, is now in San Diego for a 20-show engagement at the Del Mar Horsepark that concludes November 22. e intimate show puts the action right in front of guests for an immersive experience that showcases the discipline practiced by Zoppe's family for centuries — bareback riding — along with Cossack-style riding, Roman riding, liberty, and dressage, as well as aerial acts. It's quite an evolution from the show's origins, which trace back to a backyard performance Zoppe did in 2005 that he says he filmed in order to market his act and "make a living out of it" rather than letting it remain "just a dream." As a kid, Zoppe's family had an act that featured Zoppe's grandparents, uncles, and extended family on both sides performing bareback riding, where various acrobatics take place on detour culture BY DEANNA MURPHY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILL BUCQUOY A Performance Generations in the Making ranchandcoast.com 82 NOVEMBER 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE Cirque Ma'Ceo founder Olissio Zoppe (on horseback) performs with an aerial artist