Hi Constantin. Hi Giulia. First of all, thank you very much for accepting our invitation and for sharing with us some of your time in this difficult period. Please, introduce yourselves to our readers. Hello everyone. Thank you for inviting us to be part of this beautiful section. Giulia: My name is Giulia Bontempi. I was born in a small town in Camonica Valley in the province of Brescia, in the north of Italy. I come from a big family in which the Arabian horse has always been the greatest passion. I have been madly in love with this beautiful ani- mal since my early childhood, I grew up with him and then he made me find my soul mate! Constantin: My name is Constantin Urinciuc. I was born in a small town in Romania. Since I was a child, I too have had a strong passion for horses, following on the footsteps of my grandparents who owned work horses in the countryside. In my life, I was lucky enough to become a member of this amazing Arabian horse world community. How, when and where did you meet? Giulia: We had met several times at shows, but it was at the Palermo show of 2018 that we definitively fell in love with each other. In the days following the competition, we talked on the phone every day until I decided to go on holiday nearby where he lived. We have started seeing each other from that memorable day and we never left, although Constantin still works at Giacomo Capacci Arabians in Tuscany. Constantin, what impressed you most about Giulia? Giulia, same question to you please. Constantin: I was struck by Giulia’s beauty. She looked so nice and so smiling to me. Over the time, I have come to appreciate and love so many other aspects of her perso- nality and I must say that she is a resourceful woman with great determination. Giulia: I was struck by the look on his face and then his gentle disposition did the rest, but what I like best about Constantin it is that he always surprises me. Constantin. What did you use to do before coming to Italy? Tell us about your first steps in this industry. Why did you decide to start a career as a trainer / handler in this sector? Constantin: After my diploma from the Hotel school in Romania, I soon realized that this was not what I wanted to do in the future. My brother Narcis, who was already working in Italy in the industry of the Arabian horse, helped me move to Sicily where I started working at MG Arabians. This was my very first important experience in the sector. I stayed at MG Arabians for 6 years. They welcomed me as a member of the family and taught me everything about how to appro- ach Arabian horses. After gaining some good practical experience, I wanted to learn how to become a trainer and I completed my program very satisfactorily. Thereafter, I decided that I wanted to learn even more about it, so in 2014 I started this new amazing adventure at Giacomo Capacci Arabians in Tuscany. Luckily for me, I have found again a beautiful family that is always there to support me and te- ach me new important things. I take the opportunity to thank Giacomo and Michelle Capacci from the bottom of my heart. Giulia, I know that you have grown up with horses. What kind of relationship do you have with them? Giulia: I have a very special relationship with my horses. I wouldn’t know how to live my life without my horses. This feeling has intensified in the course of time, also thanks to my father Gianfranco and my uncle Enrico. Everything I know about the Arabian horse, it is definitely thanks to them and they are both so supportive! Nowadays, I too give my contribution to the breeding choices that need to be made every year to improve the subjects of our La Speranza Arabians breeding pro- gram. In the future, I hope to be able to continue to do what I do in the best way possible, and get as many sati- sfactions as my family deserves. How much does the Arabian horse affect your relation- ship? The Arabian horse affects our relationship a lot, both in a positive and in a negative way. It is what unites us, but also what separates us. If we ever fight about something it is because of the Arabian horse for the most part, but it does so, if you will, in a ‘constructive’ way, it is like a continuous learning process for both of us. In your opinion, what are the essential ingredients for a good life with each other? Any relationship must be based on mutual respect and trust in the first place, shared support is also crucial, and it becomes even more important in this sector in which you are often required to stay away from your partner even for months. How and where do you see yourselves over five years? In five years we will be married, we will have a baby...Why not? (Laughs). We feel that thanks to this passion that unites us so deeply, we can build something great together. How’s this quarantining? From March 12th, we have been quarantining together in Camonica Valley, but we are lucky to have our horses around, they are giving us so much comfort during this horrible confinement... What are the biggest consequences of Covid-19 pan- demic on the Arabian horse industry in your opi- nion? Constantin: Covid-19 is a serious issue for the sector as a whole, all shows, auctions, and many other important events were canceled of cour- se, but also potential clients who are eager to see subjects from close up cannot move, they are stuck in their houses, therefore, also the market has shrunk. I hope this situation will come to an end soon and that we can all get back to normal life. Giulia: For small breeders like us, it’s been a catastrophe as for some years sales have not been good either. This pandemic di- sease has just worsened the situation. I strongly hope that they will find a solu- tion to this deadlock. Constantin and Giulia. Would you like to leave a message for our readers? Yes, we would. First and foremost, we would like to thank our dear friend Gianluca Martino for this great op- portunity. It’s been an honor for us. We also thank Sonja for the nice interview, along with all other members of the AHM team. Thank you so much everyone!