© Karl Donvil

Mr. Stefanescu,
Next year it is your term to organise the European Dog Show. After Leeuwarden we all have high expectations. What were the strongest points in the organisation of the show in Leeuwarden?

This year`s European Dog Show has given us more incentive into concentrating for the organising of next year`s event in Bucharest. Our Dutch colleges made the best of it and we can say that they excelled in all chapters. It`s our goal to reach or even exceed this level.

Has Romania the same possibilities in your opinion?

Romania has numerous possibilities that are not really as similar to the ones of the Dutch. With certainty, Holland`s possibilities in some areas are higher, but we will do our best to compensate any handicap and find the right answers that would make Bucharest a show to remember – positively, of course.

What do you think about the main ring? Was it a good example to you?

An excellent example and incentive for us was Leeuwarden`s main ring, a thing that gives us reason to try and make it more spectacular.

Unfortunately the number of entries and visitors was rather low. What was in your opinion the main reason for this?

It`s difficult to say why so few dogs and visitors showed up at the EDS 2011. Holland deserves more in both aspects. We shouldn`t forget though that the event took place in not even two months since Paris and that Leeuwarden as a name, as resonance, is not Paris nor Amsterdam... it`s just a small town, incomparable to a metropolis such as Paris. Bucharest holds some 3 million inhabitants that give potential to a high level of attendance proportionally to the size of the city and the advertising campaign.

The trade stand holders complained about the location compared to Paris. How do you think to plan this in order to give them better opportunities?

In my opinion stand holder’s dissatisfaction is unfounded. The location was a good one but low level of attendance both in visitors and participants radically influenced sales. I think that this was the real reason for dissatisfaction.

What did you learn from the show in Paris?

Paris showed us the difficulty into managing such a huge number of participants and to do this you need a “glued-together” team capable of communicating in more international languages along to the one of Voltaire... We`ve learned to wish not for a record attendance but for a well organised and controlled show.

Thank you for this short interview! FCI Newsletter will certainly come back for a longer interview about the European Dog Show in your country.

Cristian Stefanescu
Juge toutes races FCI – AchR
Boîte postale : C.P.165 - O.P.12 Bucuresti RO-014750
Gsm :+40 723 537312
Fax : +40 31 8165998
E-mail :

Karl Donvil