Interviewed by Vilte Sokaityte
Published in Annual 2016
BIS: Virginia Stevenin is a successful and talented junior handler from Italy, who won the Italian junior handling championship under Alice Varchi and represented her country in three biggest shows of the year. Not only represented, but showed great results too: Virginia was placed 2nd in her own country Italy, the World junior handling final and won BIS junior handler in Oslo, the European dog show! I was more than excited to have the possibility speak to Virginia and even more to share her thoughts, impressions and future plans with you!
V.S.:Thank you for the interview! It will be great to share my toughts and say something about me! Me too I’m so exicited for this opportunity.
BIS: Please tell us, for the beginning, some facts about yourself. (Where have you born and where do you live? How did you get involved with a dogs?)
V.S.: I’ve always been envolved with dogs and show dogs because my mum was already a breeder before my birth. So when I was born I already had a little bunch of Afghans to welcome me, with which I’ve dealt since the beginning. So I had the opportunity to stay in contact with dogs since I was a child, and that helped me to understand them better also later. I was born near Milano and I lived in the countryside with my dogs and family since I was 10. Then I moved to Parma with my mum, her partner Daniele Tabarrini and my brother and sisters. I live in a real farm, with not just dogs but many others animals. When we moved here my mum followed Daniele in his Professional Handler carrer so I had the possibility to learn a lot from that, having the opportunity to relate with many different dogs every day. At home we have 25 dogs plus those ones wich come and go for shows.
BIS: So far as I know Afghan hound is the breed you have at home. Can you please tell us something about them?
V.S.: On 25 dogs at home, 12 are Afghans. This is one of the breed I mostly like! As my mum has ever taught me they are “dogs with thoughts” they are not just dogs but they have their personality and because of that they always try to delight the ones they gave their trust to. Exactly for this in fact they are not an easy breed to approach with, but once you get their trust they will do everything for you. They need to run a lot and is required an intensive coat care, these two things are not easy to go along toghther, not easy at all. Anyway I really love this breed for their temperament and their way to show themselves, it’s lovely to see them running in the fields making the perfect figure of balance and power.
BIS: Afghan hound, I guess, requires a lot of time, especially for grooming. Do you have time to do it by yourself or you get help from your family?
V.S.: Not all the 12 Afghans we have at home require every week grooming (the ones that are old or don’t compete in shows anymore are usually groomed once or twice a month) so we have more or less six dogs which need gromming every week. Out of them I personally follow two, but it happens that I help to do the others during the week. Grooming dogs is one thing I really enjoy to do expecially in the Afghans and my mum and Daniele have shown me lots of tricks to do a good grooming. I used to groom dogs since I was very young, I remember I wasn’t high enough to get to bathtub so mum bought me a footstool to be able to wash the dogs. With time I’ve learned to groom many different breeds, when I was 11 I’ve been for a week in a grooming shop to learn and the year later I spent three weeks holiday to Angela Francini’s Kennel (Francini’s English Cocker Spaniel) and I learned how to groom Cockers.
BIS: When you won the JH-final in Italy and knew you will represent your country in Crufts, WDS and EDS, did you think about such success? What was your goal and thoughts then for these shows?
V.S.: When Alice Varchi decided to make me being the winner of the JH-Final in Italy, I was the most happy girl all over the world! I saw my very first dream came true and that was the first of my long goals list! It took me three days to realize what happened. I immediatly started to make my plans for those three important shows. I’ve worked every day on my imperfections, I really tried all the ways to get better and better. When Crufts date was closer I knew I had done all I could, unfortunately I make not the best choice for Crufts, getting a beautiful Greyhound but very young too, with no experience in the ring, and unfortunally I didn’t do very well that day. I was anyway happy for taking part in such a great experience and I’ve learned a lot by that. I must say that Cruft is probably the hardest competition because they don’t allow you to pik the dog, so when you take the dog they choose for you, you have just a very small time to get in contact with your fourlegged new friend, and this is very hard, expecially when you have asked for a Greyhound. Eventhoug me and Pandora did our best at Cruft as well.
My goal at these three important shows was definetly to show myself at the best and make my country proud of me. My first tought was that there was a lot of quality in all the JH rings in Europe. I knew there were lots of talented juniors around the world and I knew how difficult could be, beeing placed at one of this international competitions. At least I really wished to make my family, expecially my mum, proud of me.
BIS: Your three breeds for the most important shows this year were sighthounds. Greyhound for Crufts, Afghan hound at WDS and finally whippet in Oslo. Is group 10 the ONE you enjoy showing the most?
V.S.: Surely group 10 is my favourite one! As I mentioned before, Afghans but in general all the sighthounds are dogs wich have their mind and their thoughts. They’re not easy breeds that you can just take and go in the ring, you have to work on them and try to get in their mind, find a way to understand them and try to create the right feeling that will make the perfect couple in the ring. Sighthounds are kind of magic and have an aura around that really make everithing special. I really love to stay and watch them in the ring with their elegance that always capture my eyes!
BIS: How did you decide who to take for these competitions? Why Afghan hound for WDS, whippet for Oslo and not in reverse?
V.S.: First of all, let me tell you that it was planned I should have bring my Afghan at EDS in Oslo as well, but we couldn t make to organize her trip and my mother was in Uk showing on the same weekend, so I had to leave her at home and get to Oslo by plane. As second choice I choosed “Manta”, the beautiful Whippet. I have to be forever thankfull to Francesca Pavesi and Fabrizio Manni (Handlers and respectively Whippet’s breeder and Bulmastiff’s breeder) for giving me her. Manta has beeing the best chooice as I already had experience with her and it worked out lovely, before getting there I already had time to work with her, and Francesca taught me all the triks to show her at the best, so I was more than excited to have such a great dog as a partner for my EDS, even I really missed my Afghan. At WDS I was looking for a dog that was able to take out the best of myself and with which I could work and keep a contact everyday, so that couldn’t be a better choice than “Clara”, Multi Ch. Way Up Wind Cries Mary one top winning Afghan from my mum’s kennel. With her I really had fun in the ring and I would choose her again for sure! She really did what I expected, showing herself to perfection, performing beautifully, never losing a step. There were a perfect connection between us, she could read in my mind and I could feel all her emotions. I really have to say that there couldn’t be two better dogs I could found for these two shows.
BIS: World Dog Show v.s. European Dog Show – I guess you will remember both of these shows for a long time, but if you should compare Milan and Oslo, which win was more memorable and why?
V.S.: At WDS I was in my own country, with all my family and friends that supported me and cheered for me, I couldn’t ask for something better that day! But in Oslo I got there just with a friend, with no family and a little group of supporters that spent all the day with me, knowing I didn’t have anybody to help and suggest me. So I think this was the most memorable because of that. Being there and being able to get a good result without my points of reference meant to me that I could be able to do that also alone. Surely with this experience I grown up a lot.
BIS: Hugo Quevedo and Angela Loyd, the judges of World and European dog shows‘finals. I guess it makes the win even more special? How did you feel when your name was announced as 2nd and 1st place winner?
V.S.:I was more than honorate to be choosen by two professional handlers. Two handlers that are respected and known for their professionality, elegance and experience, but not just that, their are both part of the high part of our dog world, part of the people that still deeply belive in purebreed sport with the pourpose of keep the level high and out of some silly political games. I was more then proud of been choosen from Angela Loyd and Hugo Quevedo, that made my victories even more precious.
BIS: Maybe, beside these unforgettable shows, there are any other wins which are very special to you and you would like to share them with us?
V.S.:There are two or three achievements I’d like two mention. In 2010 when I was just 11 I got the title of Vice Monaco Champion over many talented juniors from all over Europe under Mrs. Lisbeth Mach. I remember my mum that couldn’t believe in it and me that I was too much young to understand what was happening, everyone was speechless seing me running in the ring with my Golden Retriver that was bigger than me. That was a day I’ll remember for a long time! In 2014 I won my first big win in breed ring when with Multi Ch. Way Up Heaven Out of Hell I got BOS at the prestigious Afghan Hound World Congress over more than 100 entries from high quality’s kennel all over Europe. Later I started to get good wins in Afghans rings (but not just there), until I got Crufts 2015 BOB Winner with my beloved Ch. Way Up James Bond under specialist judges Mr. Espen Hengh and Mrs. Susan Rhodes over more than 250 entries. Going forward with his career with “Bond” we got the Italian title collecting two speciality BOB and one specialty BOS all just this year! In 2013 and 2014 I was JH- Club Champion, in 2013 I was placed third at the JH-Final in Italy and in 2014 I won it under Miss. Alice Varchi.
BIS: Ok, but let’s talk about your past. How and when did you get involve in dogs and handling?
V.S.:As I said I’ve always been involved with show dogs. Since I was very young my mum used to bring me to shows. I had the opportunity to see her in the ring and learning a lot just watching. When I was four my parents gifts me my very first dog, she was a Jack Russel called Alice. I worked with her since she was a puppy and I have to say that she was one on a million, no doubt! I spent lots of my afternoon grooming her with my mum teaching, and she let me bring her to shows just if she was perfectly groomed. We were a real team, and she was one of the most special dogs I’ve ever been in touch with. She grown up with me and togheter we learned a lot. I started to compete in JH when I was theree and honestly, I can’t remember my first time, but for sure, from that day I’ve never stopped to compete in JH.
BIS: You’re only 16 – so you still have a lot time as a junior handler. What are your plans now? Will you try to represent your country again or maybe you have some other goals?
V.S.:I think I’ll compete again in JH but just in biggest shows. I’ll show my two own Afghans Bond and Nemo in rings all over Europe and not just there! Bond has some new records to break and Nemo has to make experience. Unfortunately I think I won’t represent Italy again at Crufts, but I still have to think about that.
BIS: In the future – are you dreaming about becoming a professional handler? Or maybe a groomer, a breeder, judge or something else?
V.S.: Honestly I dream to became all of that! My mum is Afghan breeder and Professional Handler and I’d like to do the same and mybe later to became a judge too. Beeing a Handler requise to be able to groom every tipe of dogs so, professional handling consist also in grooming.
BIS: Do you have any mentor(s) that helped you all the way during your career?
V.S.: For sure my mum! She taught me everything since I was a child. Later Daniele Tabarrini (mum’s boyfriend) gave me the triks for the best grooming (especially on dogs from group one and five) and taught me how to handle many different breeds. There have been many others people that taught me a lot just talking with me for five minutes. I try to rape every single trick that experienced people that surround us can give me. I’m lucky enough to meet every day experienced and famous people through my mother and because of Daniele’s job, and this is really priceless.
BIS: How do you manage to match handling and school? Do your teachers know about your hobby?
V.S.: I try my best to cope with both school and dogs, it is hard sometimes but till now I made it. My teachers and friends know about my passion, but I never got any “discount” from school becuse of it.
BIS: Probably you’ve heard about the recent discussions about junior handlers’ competitions rules concerning the figures (such as T, L and eight). What do you think about it?
V.S.: I’ve always immagined Junior Handler competiotions with a child with his dog having fun in the ring, so obviusly I do not agree with this rules. I think that JH is a place where practicing for breed ring, where learning the best way to show a dog. I never thought that JH is something different then showing a dog in the breed ring, and for definete JH should not be just about people, but about people working with dogs and for dogs. Figures on one respect make things more difficult for the couple dog-handler, but the risk,on the other side, is to take off the attention from the way the dog is showed and presented, and put too much attention on the handler himself, without caring of the dog anymore. Some big dogs like Great Dane or Irish Woulfound cannot show propely their potential running in a T or L for example. So I definetly disagree with this rules.
BIS: At shows, we can see a lot of envy and anger, but how it is in Italy? Could you say that Italian junior handlers are supportive and helpful?
V.S.: I reallly think that envy and anger should be out of this world, both JH and dog sports. A sane competition is fair, we are all there to win but we need to learn to win improving our own job, not putting down other competitors. Every time I’ve lost ( and loosing is part of the game!) I tried to understand why, where I’ve failed, to be able to make a better job the next time, and this is how all of us grow up and fly to the top. Those that always complain and always have exuses for themself are looser and negative example for us JH that want to improve our passion.
BIS: And for the end, what you would like to wish for our BIS-magazine readers?
V.S.: If you have a dream, never give up because you never know how close you are! Work on it and it will come true for sure! The dog world is not an easy world and you have to be determinated and know where you want to get. Know your limits (everyone has them) and work for perfection until them. Enjoy and respect your fourlegged friends in the ring and out of it. Listen to the experienced ones and learn from them. Work hard and fly to the top!
