Showsight - January 2022

MARK & BONNIE GOODWEIN KOPPERTONE VIZSLAS

BREEDER INTERVIEW BY ALLAN REZNIK

Where did the two of you grow up? Bonnie was born in Coco Beach, Florida, moved to Long Beach, California, as a young child, and as a teen to the San Fernando Valley. Mark was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the San Fernando Valley. We both attended and graduated from California State University, Northridge, and were actually on the same page of our graduating yearbook, but did not meet each other until after graduation. Mark has a BS degree in Business Management and was the first soccer player in school history to receive NCAA All- America recognition. Bonnie has a BS degree in Foods and Business. We met while working in the same shopping center, Mark as a security guard and Bonnie managing a Mrs. Fields Cookie Shop. We have three amazing children, Aaron, Daniel, and Rachel, plus a new son-in-law, Steven. Do you come from doggie families? If not, how did the interest in breeding and show- ing purebred dogs begin? Our lifetime journey and love for Vizslas began before we met. In the early 1980s, a stray Vizsla showed up on Bonnie’s doorstep. At that time, she did not know anything about the breed, and without social media, details were not very accessible. Bonnie asked a groomer friend what breed the dog might be, and she immediately identified her as a Vizsla and put the bug in Bonnie’s ear that it might be fun to get involved in AKC events. Bonnie soon joined the Vizsla Club of Southern California and the Vizsla Club of America, where we are still active and members in good standing. After “Sasha” passed, Bonnie looked for another Vizsla, and puppy “Shari” joined her family. Enter Mark into Bonnie’s life. Before getting married in 1986, we searched from coast to coast to find a second Vizsla to join our soon-to-be fam- ily. After much research we connected with Ed and Bev Wanjon of Russet Leather

104 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JANUARY 2022

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