IGINIO BRESSAN, Vittorio Veneto / Italy, is the current president of the Assoziazione Tassidermisti Italiani (ATI). He and his association ATI have hosted and organized four European Taxidermy Championships®: the 5th ETC in 2002 and then three in a row with the 7th ETC 2006, 8th ETC 2010 and 9th ETC® 2014.
In difficult periods of the European Taxidermy Federation ETF, Iginio Bressan kept the European Taxidermy Championships alive!
Thank you so much dear Iginio, for all the big efforts and invested time, for your strength and enthusiasm regarding the competition and your kind and competent hosting in Longarone for so many times!
VAGN REITZ, Aalestrup / Denmark, is the former president of the Dansk Zoologisk Konservatorforening (DZK) and was also the president of the European Taxidermy Federation ETF (2007 – 2013). Without his support, the ETC® wouldn’t be where it is now. Under his presidency, the ETF Competition Group has been established because he saw and felt that the ETC® had to be given in the hands of competition experienced people, to improve and professionalize it.
This has been the basic requirement for the successful start as an independent organization after the dissolving of the ETF in 2016. The most important milestone for the ETC® in the era Vagn Reitz was the trademarking in the year 2012.
Thank you dear Vagn, for your wisdom and foresight as ETF president and that you always took the right decisions at the right time!
CHRISTOPH MEIER, Münsigen / Switzerland, is the former president of the Verband Naturwissenschaftlicher Präparatorinnen und Präparatoren der Schweiz (VNPS). After the demission of Vagn Reitz, he overtook the presidency of the ETF (ad interim) for 2 years. In a good and constructive collaboration and with his competent help and experience, the ETF Competition Group developed to the ETC® Committee with a fully independent status inside the ETF. He was also the competition chairman on several ETC® events.
Thank you dear Christoph, for your support in the founding of the ETC® and your continuous help!
BEREND KOCH, Mörlenbach / Germany, is the former ETC® competition chairman and one of the founders of the current ETC® organization. After the dissolution of the umbrella organization European Taxidermy Federation (ETF), in 2016, he and Matthias Fahrni took over the responsibility and also the risk of leading the European Taxidermy Championships® as an independent organization into a fruitful future. This was impressively achieved in 2018 with the 11th ETC® in Salzburg/Austria.
Berend was a member of the ETF Competition Group and later of the ETC® Committee, where he was already the Competition Chairman. With his experience of participating in all ETCs and many other international competitions (as competitor, judge, organization) he was predestined for and fulfilled this most responsible job perfectly over many years! His painstaking and most reliable work and character has found a big recognition and respect in our taxidermy circle.
As the personified data center of the ETC® organization, internally he was responsible for financial administration, accounting and, in the run-up to the competitions, for the registration. Here he was a competent contact for the participants with advice and support. He was instrumental in the creation of the ETC® Competition Rules, created the ETC® Species Lists and fortunately, but more in the background, will still be in charge of the developing of the ETC® score sheets.
He sacrificed a lot of his free time for the good of the ETC®! For Berend the ETC® was – and still is – a matter close to the heart and no question, without him the ETC® wouldn’t exist in its current form. With his knowledge and experience he is one of the leading figures in the younger past and the gap he is going to leave behind will not be so easy to fill.
Berend, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done for us! It is much more than most of us can imagine!
MATTHIAS FAHRNI, Aegerten / Switzerland came to taxidermy as a true “self-made man”. As an active fisherman, his passion led him to very demanding fish taxidermy. He soon participated very successfully (3 times World Champion) in the WTC® in the United States and brought his enthusiasm and commitment for such competitions back to Europe. First as a participant (2 times European Champion), soon as a judge and seminar instructor and then later as an organiser and chairman. Matthias made the ETC® to what it could be witnessed in Budapest in 2021, once again; not only a perfectly organised taxidermy competition in a dignified setting with broad international participation, but, thanks to a carefully cultivated seminar programme, also an international continuing education event for the whole community.
It is thanks to the persistent initiative of Matthias that the ETC® could be transformed into a protected trademark and continued as an independent organisation when the then ETF (European Taxidermy Federation) ceased to exist. He dedicated 13 years of his life time for the good of the European taxidermy community in different ETC® leading positions – and the ETC® was always (…and still will be) a deep affair of his heart.
Matthias has been actively supported by his wife HELEN FAHRNI during his whole active time – especially during the preparation and realisation of their last ETC® of 2021 in Budapest.
Matthias and Helen – we thank you both very much for your great commitment in the service of the whole ETC® family. Without you, the ETC® would not exist in this form!