Sandra Piscedda

Italy

I was born in a small mountain village in central Italy, where I owned my first pet, a Siamese cat. When I was 6, my family moved to Naples, the beautiful city stretching between the volcano Vesuvio and the Mediterranean sea, where I still live. I had my first dog in 1960, a Boxer bitch, great companion of my childhood, and since then my life has always been involved with dogs and love for dogs. In 1979 I achieved my degree in Architecture and in 1983 I moved to UK for attaining my MSc. There I met Carla, a lovely Rhodesian Ridgeback bitch bred by Mrs Greenwood; she made me fall in love with the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed soon to become my breed. In 1985 I got my first Rhodesian Ridgeback dog from the well-known UK kennel, Mrs Webster.’s Janak. Shortly after I bought my foundation bitch Johokwe Goldy from the well-known breeder Rosy Brook-Risse in Germany. In 1986 I attended my first dog show; in 1992 my first litter was born and in 1995 I obtained my FCI affix “Murenga” co-owned with my husband Marco. Over the years I developed, and still have, a strong interest in the breed and its history. In 1990 I started publishing a registered magazine devoted to the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed and in 1997 I travelled to Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) along the prints of the men and places where the breed developed. I am a member of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Italy (RRCI) since its foundation of which I was the President in the early years; today I am the Italian Kennel Club (ENCI) representative on the Club Board. In early 2000, supported by my husband, I applied for my judging license and today I judge all breeds of FCI Groups 4, 6, 8 and 10 and Maltese, Bolognese, Boston Terrier, Pug and French Bouledogue of FCI Group 9. I judged in my country and abroad, and in many Rhodesian Ridgeback Club Shows (Denmark, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Czech Republic, Norway, Israel, Slovenia, Austria, France, Switzerland). I judged Club shows for some breeds of FCI Group 6 at the World Dog Show 2015 in Milan and will judge in WDS 2026 in Bologna. At the present I am appointed by or national kennel Club, ENCI, for providing education on the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed. I am also a representative of the Italian Kennel Club at our national and international dog shows and a member of the board of my local Kennel Club in Naples. I also held seminars on the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed for the Italian RR Club.