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12th CAFIB Fila Brasileiro Exhibition in Varginha

Varginha (MG) is a city that holds significant importance in the history of the Fila Brasileiro, as it was from there that the first puppies, brought by Paulo Santos Cruz (the "father of the breed"), arrived to initiate his legendary Parnapuan Kennel in Santos, on the São Paulo coast. Some local curiosities are worth noting.

Its history begins in the 18th century with the founding of the small settlement initially called Catanduvas. The location gradually gained status as a Settlement, Curacy, Parish, Village, Municipality, and finally, a City, by the end of the 19th century.

In the 1930s, the Festivities of the Folias de Reis became part of the local folklore. According to the State Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage of Minas Gerais (IEPHA/MG), this Iberian-origin tradition is one of the oldest and most widespread folk celebrations in Minas Gerais and Brazil. The State Council for Cultural Heritage considered this tradition an Intangible Heritage of Varginha.

In 1996, one of the most memorable “ufo encounters” in Brazil happened there, when three girls allegedly had a close encounter of the third kind with extraterrestrials. It is said that two creatures from another planet were captured by members of the Brazilian Army, Military Police, and Fire Department and sent for analysis and autopsy in Campinas (São Paulo). As a result, the construction of the "ET Memorial" began, a kind of ufology museum, whose completion was postponed for several years until its inauguration in 2022. Today, this tourist complex includes a Planetarium and the "ET Route of Varginha," which includes the UFO Park and the UFO Museum. Throughout the city, statues of the extraterrestrial are scattered, and a 20-meter-high water tower in the shape of a spacecraft has been built. This work has been considered by a tourism magazine as the second ugliest monument in Brazil, surpassed only by the horrendous statue of the bandeirante Borba Gato in the Santo Amaro, neighborhood of São Paulo. Curiously, this sculpture has been the target of some vandalism actions by activists protesting the actions of those pioneers who captured and enslaved indigenous and black people, raped, and trafficked their women and stole precious metal mines near their villages. Skulls have been placed around the monument, and in 2021, a group of protesters scattered tires around the base of the statue and set them on fire.

Varginha is also rich in green areas, such as Parque Zoobotânico Dr. Mário Frota, Parque Municipal Novo Horizonte, Parque Florestal São Francisco de Assis, and Parque Centenário, which house hundreds of species of birds and wildlife. One of the most beautiful landscapes in the region is seen from the Morro do Chapéu, from whose summit you can contemplate 12 cities and a branch of the immense Lago de Furnas, the so-called "Mar Doce de Minas," whose area includes, in addition to Varginha, 33 other municipalities.

In 1910, the Cinema Brasil was inaugurated in the city, the first in southern Minas, whose machine, powered by kerosene, needed to be turned off during some sessions due to the intensity of the smoke, which threatened to suffocate the audience. It was a traveling cinema because the engine was usually taken by “carro de boi”, a cart drawn by ox, for screenings in nearby cities.

In the field of zootecny, southern Minas Gerais is proud to be the place of formation and improvement of important breeds of domestic animals. The Vale do Rio Sapucaí is one of the most prominent geographical points in the genetic improvement of Caracu cattle, whose most expressive herd today is traditionally maintained by the Carvalho Dias family in Poços de Caldas. The Mangalarga Marchador horses have their origin in Fazenda Campo Alegre, owned by Gabriel Francisco Junqueira, entitled Barão de Alfenas, located in the former jurisdiction of Rio das Mortes, in southern Minas. This region also constitutes the main place of origin of the Fila Brasileiro dog breed.

In this 12th CAFIB Fila Brasileiro Exhibition in Varginha, we had the honor of receiving the visit of José Hamilton Alves Pereira, an important local breeder and owner of the Aquenta Sol Kennel, which produced outstanding breeding dogs, such as Timbó and Leãozinho. He has been accompanying us and participating in our Analyses and Exhibitions since 1980; later, he became our representative in the region and took us to several rural properties where we found and used as sires various Filas from old Minas Gerais lineages.

Held at the traditional Parque de Exposições João Urbano de Figueiredo Filho, on November 26, the event that concludes our 2023 calendar was organized by Anderson Nogueira Luz (Fazenda da Serraria Kennel) and Átila Branquinho Dias (Barão dos Filas Kennel). A total of 81 Filas had been previously registered. Fourteen were evaluated in the Phenotype and Temperament Analysis, one failed due to a disqualifying reaction in temperament and nervous system tests. The 75 specimens that attended the Exhibition were judged by Américo Cardoso dos Santos Jr (Araguaya Kennel in Vargem Grande Paulista) and Jaime Pérez Marhuenda (Acaboclado Kennel in Alicante, Spain). The president of CAFIB Mariana Campbell, the tireless Elizabete Sayuri Hino, and the Minas Gerais breeder Marcos Flávio Vilasboas Moreira acted as auxiliary judges. The track assistants were Airton Campbell and Paulo Augusto Monteiro de Moura. Mariana Campbell also served as the veterinarian in charge and worked in the secretariat with Cíntia Mota Mendes Junqueira de Barros. Cíntia, Bete Hino, and Fábio Júnior da Silva took care of the videos and photographs. And the background actor in the attack tests was Haroldo Aldrey Rhodson Alver Santos Mosqueira.

CAFIB appreciates the attendance of breeders, owners, and breed enthusiasts from the federative units of Espírito Santo (Linhares), Mato Grosso do Sul (Campo Grande), Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Campo Belo, Cordisburgo, Elói Mendes, Governador Valadares, Itanhandu, Juiz de Fora, Lavras, Nova Serrana, Pará de Minas, Três Corações, and Varginha) and São Paulo (Campinas, Guararema, Guarulhos, São Paulo, and Vargem Grande Paulista).

The complete result of the Exhibition is already published on the CAFIB website, and the main titles were:

BEST MALE: Ubá VII Guardiães do Caracu, owned by Marcus Flávio Vilasboas Moreira and José Wilson Vilela (Campo Belo, MG)

BEST FEMALE: Ibituruna Jardim da Lapa, owned by Marcos Abrão Borges de Melo (Governador Valadares, MG)

BEST TEMPERAMENT: Ibituruna Jardim da Lapa, owned by Marcos Abrão Borges de Melo (Governador Valadares, MG)

BEST HEAD: Escobar Recanto do Livramento, owned by Leonardo Monteiro (Cordisburgo, MG)

And we conclude our 2023 calendar with the resolution of a long-standing controversy. For 45 years, CAFIB has been the target of criticism from disgruntled individuals questioning Exhibition results and the integrity of our judges. We have consistently dismissed these baseless inquiries, understanding that, unfortunately, they will persist. Recently, the focus has been on the bite of Logan Jardim da Lapa, owned by Marcos Abrão Borges de Melo (Governador Valadares, MG). Being a highly aggressive specimen, evaluating his dentition has always been challenging, and due to his numerous awards, he has been a target of rumors and slander. With great patience, we have carefully examined his teeth and bite. To settle the matter, CAFIB declares that, on November 25, 2023, the eve of the 116th CAFIB National Exhibition of the Fila Brasileiro and the 12th CAFIB Fila Brasileiro Exhibition in Varginha, MG, Logan's dentition was examined by CAFIB judges Airton Campbell, Américo Cardoso dos Santos Jr., Elizabeth Sayuri Hino, Jaime Pérez Marhuenda, Mariana Campbell, and Paulo Augusto Monteiro de Moura. They confirmed its scissor bite, as well as the absence of dental faults, noting a fracture in the lower left canine. This assessment was meticulously documented, and CAFIB considers the matter definitively closed.

CAFIB wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.