Idioma:

Another great CAFIB success!!!

In the second half of the 19^th Century, the ferryman João Inácio Ferreira was responsible for the Fluvial Port at the edge of Rio Moji Guaçu, a little more than 200 km to the north of the São Paulo capital, and his ferry make possible the crossing of people, animals and goods to the promising region of Ribeirão Preto, already on its way to become the “Worldwide Capital of Coffee” (and that in the last few decades since the 20^th Century, when it reached the highest position as producer of sugarcane of the planet, and would receive the title from “Capital of Sugar and Alcohol”, in addition to other denominations allusive to its wealth, such as “Brazilian California”, and its delights, as “Capital of the Ale” (Chop)). The activity of the ferryman had given origin to the emergence of a village, strongly pushed forward with the inauguration of the Railroad, in 1880, by Companhia Paulista de Vias Férreas e Fluviais. This small cluster of houses came to establish the District of Porto Ferreira, at the beginning belonging to Descalvado, and afterwards to Pirassununga, and that eventually became, officially, a municipality in 1896.

Porto Ferreira, for several years, was the scene of a widespread tradition - the Cavalhadas - in several Brazilian regions in the past and today restricted to a few cities. These festivities - inspired by medieval European tournaments and that ended up being inserted into our folklore - extend over a few days and simulate the battles between Christians and Saracens (or Moors), with participants displaying their equestrian dexterity mounted on horses richly ornamented and feathered. At the end, the Christians get to free the princess imprisoned in the castle of the enemies, who surrender and have their fortress burned to the ground. In Brazil, the cavalhadas started to be disputed in the 18^th Century, during the Festival of the Divine Holy Spirit, in the South, Southeastern and Center-West regions, introduced by the Jesuits with the objective to demonstrate to the native Indians and to the black slaves the power of the Christian faith. The most famous are those of Cazuza Ferreira (RS), Guarapuava (PR), Poconé (TM) and, mainly, Pirenópolis (GO), considered the “Capital of the Cavalhadas”. In Porto Ferreira, these competitions were regularly carried out until the first decade of the 20^th Century.

Today, Porto Ferreira stands out as an important producer of onions and, in this year of 2017, the local farms get ready to pick the first harvest of a new variety of this bulb. Developed, and recently launched, by the German multinational Bayer - that arrived at this result after more than 20 years of research work, crossings between different species and selection for genetic improvement -, this onion, whose handling “does not make you cry” and because it has as one of its main characteristics the sweetest flavor, received the name of “Dulciana”. The reduction of the so-called “pungency” is its flavor is due to the higher content of sugar, associated to the lesser concentration of substances that cause  burning, such as sulfur and pyruvic acid. Thus, it also reduces the “acrid” odor in the hands of those who handle it. Its commercial culture got started in Porto Ferreira last March by rural producer Jean Cechinatto, who praises the qualities of this Green, reminding that, because its root is more resistant, its leaves and bulb have better quality and are, therefore, less keen to pests and diseases, such as the feared  “pinky root”, which has brought so many losses to farmers. And he highlights that, because it presents higher productivity, combined with cost reduction, “the housewife does not cry from the burning sensation and the producer laughs with the profit”. The coordinator of the Epagri Onion Sector Chamber of Santa Catarina, Daniel Schimitt, reports that work on the production of less acidic and milder onions was started in the United States in the 1980’s to leverage the consumption of the bulb, which had begun to show a sharp fall, especially among young people and children. The onion, besides its culinary qualities, stands out for its nutritional and even medicinal properties, since it is rich in iron, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and calcium, besides the vitamins of group B, responsible for the proper functioning of the digestive and immune systems, also containing vitamins E and C, with powerful antioxidant action. Because of its known diuretic effect, it is recommended for those suffering from kidney failure, gout, kidney stone and hypertension. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and its consumption stimulates the proper functioning of the liver, pancreas and gallbladder. “Dulciana” was officially presented during the 24^th Hortitec – Technical Horticulture Exhibition, Protected Culture and Intensive Cultures – highest technical event of this sector in Latin America, carried out in the pavilion of Expoflora, in the São Paulo city of Holambra, putting into motion about R$ 60 million. As a curiosity, it is worth remembering that, together with onion “Dulciana”, Bayer is also launching the “Style” watermelon, smaller and sweeter than the traditional watermelon, in addition to containing twice antioxidant substances and greater lycopene content, a substance that helps prevent prostate cancer; but the greatest differentiation of this new watermelon - valued by the voracious consumers who do not appreciate the cerimonious liturgy of the Japanese degustation rituals - is the absence of seeds, which allows it to be  devoured more eagerly.

Also as a curiosity, now linked to the cynophilia, it is worth remembering that Porto Ferreira is the birthplace of Fausto Correa Silva, better known as Faustão, the best paid host of Brazilian television. He received the title of “Protector of the Cane Corso Breed”, for having been responsible for the introduction, in Brazil, in 1997, of these very ancient dogs of Italian origin. In love with this breed, Faustão in 2007 accepted to pose for the cover of the commemorative edition of the first anniversary of magazine “Rolling Stones Brazil”, beside his dog César de Jomaiana, who celebrated the title of World’s Three Times Champion of the Breed, won at Mexico City. Cane Corso is a mastiff, like Fila Brasileiro, who also combines skills for protecting properties, hunting of large animals and handles cattle. After being considered practically extinct, its recovery process began in the 1980’s, and soon ENCI (Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana) instituted the Open Book to start registering the tattooed specimens that fit into the newly elaborated Breed Standard, until, in 1994, Cane Corso was officially recognized by the Highest Italian cynophilia entity.

So, after this tortuous introduction - having gone through passages on rafts, cavalhadas festivals, culture of onions and breeding of Cane Corso -, finally, we arrive at the Fila Brasileiro and the great event promoted in Porto Ferreira, by CAFIB, on October 29, 2017. This 105^th National Exhibition of the Fila Brasileiro and 9^th Expofila of Porto Ferreira, organized once again by the traditional breeder and judge of CAFIB. Pedro Carlos Borotti - owner of the appraised Embaré Kennel -, had as stage, as it has already been a practice, the old Railroad Station that, in 1996 - during the commemorations for the centenary of the city -, was restored, transformed into “House of Culture Elias dos Santos” (where the Municipal Culture Secretary is installed) and expanded with the construction of a large shed used as center of cultural events, stage of artistic shows and enclosure of canine exhibitions.

Architect Airton Campbell, owner of Parque do Castelo Kennel (São Paulo, SP) and one of the founders of CAFIB, judged the males, while the females were under the charge of Jaime Pérez Marhuenda, from Alicante, Spain.

Since he was a very young boy, he was a dog lover and a student of cynophilia, especially of the guard breeds belonging to the group of great molossoids, Jaime Pérez met the Fila Brasileiro in the early 1980’s and, ten years later, acquired his first specimen, from Minas Gerais. In time, he became a kind of ambassador to the Fila, and his Acaboclado Kennel sent specimens to the United States, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, in addition to several regions of Spain itself. Jaime acted as judge at the main exhibitions of FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), in Europe and in the American continent, as well as in the specialized groups of CEMA (Club Español de los Molossos de Arena), an entity where, for more than a decade, he held the positions of vice president, responsible for Fila Brasileiro and editor of the magazine then regularly published. At CEMA, Jaime was responsible for defending the recognition, by RSCE (Real Sociedad Canina de España), of the pedigrees issued by CAFIB. After an exhaustive meeting held in Alicante, the seed was finally planted, which resulted in the re-opening of the Initial Register and the permission to register the so-called “CAFIB Filas” on the Libro de Origenes Español. In addition to the Fila Brasileiro, Jaime was also granted accreditation by the FCI to judge 11 other Molossian breeds: the Spanish Dogo Canario, Spanish Mastiff, Pyrenean Mastiff and the Perro de Presa Mallorquin (Ca de Bou in Catalan), the British Mastiff and Bullmastiff, the French Dogue de Bordeaux, the Italian Mastino Napoletano, the Japanese Tosa Inu and the Soviet Owtcharka from Central Asia and Owtcharka from the Caucasus. From those early days, Jaime remembers fondly the lecture he delivered on the Fila Brasileiro in the Czech Republic, at the invitation of Jan Kubesa, for judges and breeders of that country, followed by the judgment of a specialized exhibition - actions that eventually germinated in the breeding of the Club Onceiro. In 1994, he joined CAFIB and became our representative in Spain, where he founded and continues to chair, the CAFIBE - Club de Amigos del Fila Brasileiro en España. This entity, founded in 2006, is a non-profit organization and defends the same values, principles and mission that have always guided his inspirational Brazilian, CAFIB; and arose as a result of the confused lack of definition of the features that the Fila was victim, due to sudden changes in his standard on the part of FCI, who went on considering disqualifying faults (for all breeds) any manifestation of aggression to strangers on judgment tracks. This severe punishment to the reactions of typical and original temperament of the Fila Brasileiro, in his opinion, ended up by disfiguring him completely. Whereas the correct exercise of official evaluation is impossible regarding watchdogs and, in order to devote himself basically to the genetic improvement of the Fila, he renounced his credentials of international judge of the highest entity of cynophilia in the world, as well as the traditional Real Sociedad Canina de España. This last association had been founded in 1911, as Real Sociedad Central de Fomento de las Razas Caninas en España and, in 1912, it obtained the official recognition by FCI (which had also been formed the previous year, in Belgium). Jaime continues, however, to fill the position of treasurer of the Sociedad Canina de Alicante and to play the role of Commissar General of las Exposiciones Nacionales and Internationales de Alicante. Currently, as all those who are enthusiasts of the Fila Brasileiro in many European countries, the president of CAFIBE also has to embitter the harsh legal restrictions imposed on the breeding and ownership of some guard dogs considered dangerous, in a mindless campaign that, in fact, demands the holocaust of various breeds. In this sad scenario of threat of extinction of the Fila in Europe, Jaime now has only one dog, who is required to be confined to the kennel and also has to submit himself to periodic inspections, and from a surprise, at his home, made by an inspector, to confirm that the animal remains properly cooped up. And, besides these tyrannical legal restrictions, he points out the strong difficulties faced by CAFIBE, and by other similar entities, as a result of the severe economic crisis that punishes Spain and other European countries - although he extols the undeniable improvement achieved in typicality, structure, temperament and nervous system, due to the strict selection criteria adopted by the club. Jaime closes his statement thanking the learning acquired from Brazilian breeders, especially those of Minas Gerais, saying: “Everything that I am, and what I know, regarding the Fila Brasileiro, I owe CAFIB, which I do not consider a club, but rather a philosophy of life within canine scope. And, as this philosophy transcends the people who, momentarily, can be in its command, CAFIB should not be considered a better or worse club that any other one; it is simply something else, with which no other can be compared”.    

Coming back to the Brazilian reality and the judgment of the Exhibition of Port Ferreira, we stand out the important return to the tracks of the obstetrician and gynecologist Professor Doctor José Gonçalves Franco Jr, born in Santos, on the São Paulo coast and, for many years exercising the profession in Ribeirão Preto (SP). He is one of oldest members of the Staff of Arbitrators of CAFIB - Club of Improvement of Brazilian Fila and, under the orientation of the “all rounder” lawyer and judge Paulo Santos Cruz, was prepared and approved in the examination for judge taken in the city of Santos. Doctor Franco - who had as prominent reproducer dog Max, son of Zerê de Parnapuan - had made his debut on the tracks in 1983, at the time of our 1^st Exhibition of the Brazilian Fila of Baixada Santista, promoted by CAFIB, but, after a few other judgments, he needed to interrupt temporarily his performance in cynefilia in virtue of a trip to the United States for specialization in human reproduction at the University of California, area where he had already conquered his habilitation at USP (University of São Paulo). With a Master's, PhD, and postdoctoral titles, back to Brazil in 1996 he was one of the founders and started to merge the Brazilian Society of Assisted Reproduction and the Red Latinoamericana de Reproducción Asistida, in addition to also founding and assuming the scientific direction of the Center of Human Reproduction Professor Franco Júnior, in Ribeirão Preto. From his vast resume, it is also included the presidency of the Specialized Commission in Assisted Reproduction of FEBRASGO (Brazilian Federation of the Associations of Gynecology and Obstetrics), one of the 130 national societies of this area comprising FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics), distributed all over the world. Now, in Porto Ferreira, Doctor Franco was in charge of judging the class of brindles.

In addition to these three judges responsible for the judgment of the Exhibition, as well as Pedro Borotti, organizer of the event, and Luciano José de Almeida Gavião (Descalvado, SP), Pedro’s right arm in the organization, there attended several other members of the Staff of Arbitrators of CAFIB, to act in the Analysis of Phenotype and Temperament - that, as usual, preceded the Exhibition -, at the secretary, at the veterinary inspection and in photographs: Américo Cardoso dos Santos Jr. (Vargem Grande Paulista, SP), Giovani Éder de Carvalho (Aparecida, SP) - who also acted as “guineapig” in the tests of temperament and nervous system -, Jonas Tadeu Iacovantuono (Guaratinguetá, SP), Marcus Flávio Vilasboas Moreira (Belo Horizonte, MG), Mariana Campbell (São Paulo, SP) – who was also the veterinarian responsible for the event - and Paulo Augusto Monteiro de Moura (Belo Horizonte, MG). The contribution of Cíntia and Gérson Junqueira de Barros (Itanhandu, MG) was also essential in the shootings and photos, Denise Gavião (Descalvado, SP) and Cleide Cocito Cardoso dos Santos (Vargem Grande Paulista, SP) in the bureaucratic secretarial work and registration of the dogs, and Fábio husbandof Elisiane (Porto Ferreira, SP) - who assisted in the attack tests.

For the Analysis, five specimens attended, all approved; and the Exhibition broke the local record, with 35 registrations and 33 Filas on track. Breeders, exhibitors and enthusiasts of the breed attended from 21 cities, 3 states of the federation. From Goiás, the most distant state, came engineer agronomist Antônio Santos Silva Novaes - owner of the Aldeia dos Tigres Kennel, in Goiânia - traditional breeder and friend of CAFIB; João Paulo Bernardes Leite, of the city of Inhumas; and Alessandro Castro Bueno, of the Chão de Goyáz Kennel, in Aparecida de Goiânia. From Minas Gerais five exhibitors attended, from the cities of Belo Horizonte, Campo Belo, Cordisburgo, Itanhandu and Nova Serrana. And the state of São Paulo was represented by dog enthusiasts from Aparecida, Biritiba Mirim, Brodowski, Carapicuíba, Descalvado, Guaratinguetá, Guarulhos, Jacareí, Juquitiba, Porto Ferreira, Ribeirão Preto, São Bernardo do Campo, São Carlos, São Paulo and Vargem Grande Paulista.

Of all these enthusiasts of the genetic improvement of the true Fila Brasileiro and CAFIB’s work, we were especially moved by the attendance of couple Marisa (Kimie) and Jorge (Shoji) Hino, along with their daughter, Bete (Sayuri), owners of the traditional and awarded Hisama Kennel, of Guarulhos, in Great São Paulo. Mr. Jorge and Mrs. Marisa, for many years, were often followed by their children, and were constant participants of our exhibitions, always leading high quality specimens on CAFIB’s tracks, and many times, receiving important awards. Today, already at an advanced age, and whose children no longer live with them, the couple can no longer present the strong and fierce Filas that made the fame of their breed years ago. However, they did want to make it clear that they continue to cultivate the good friendships and memories of that brotherly and festive cynephile past, and still keep the same enthusiasm for the breed.

At the same time, we also paid tribute to the lawyer José Souto Maior Borges, a professor emeritus of PUC-SP (Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo), retired holder and former director of the Faculty of Law of Recife - UFPE Federal of Pernambuco), one of the most traditional in Brazil, founded in 1827 by imperial decree, and whose banks studied historical personalities, such as Barão do Rio Branco, Rui Barbosa, Castro Alves, Joaquim Nabuco, and José Lins do Rêgo, among many other names. He is the author of numerous books of law, Mestre Souto, as he is affectionately called by his friends. He is a traditional creator of Fila Brasileiro in the Northeast, founder and President of CAFIB Recife, specialized judge of the breed and creator and author of the cinófilo bulletin "O Fibra" . The founder and judge of CAFIB, Airton Campbell, received the plaque in which we pay homage to the venerable figure of our dear Master Souto.

CAFIB highlights and thanks the important contributions of all that participated in the success of the show, especially Régis Radael Berretta (Secretary of Culture of Porto Ferreira) and companies Rações Marisol Dog, from Brodowski(sponsor of the Exhibition) and Lanchonete do Danilo (responsible for the foods and drinks).

The main awards at this event were:

BEST MALE: Aragon de Itanhandu, from Cíntia e Gérson Junqueira de Barros (Itanhandu, MG)

BEST FEMALE: Unifila Ágatha do Livramento, from Leonardo Monteiro (Cordisburgo, MG)

BEST TEMPERAMENT: Jóia Guardiães do Caracu, de Cristiano Gonçalves Vieira (São Bernardo do Campo, SP)

BEST HEAD: Baiúca do Balacobaco, from Flávio Pires (Jacareí, SP)

BEST BRINDLE (less than 1 year of age): Drude do Itanhandu, from Cíntia e Gérson Junqueira de Barros (Itanhandu, MG)

BEST BRINDLE (over 1 year of age): Quizar Recanto do Livramento, owned by José Wilson Vilela (Campo Belo, MG)

The complete result of the 9^th Exhibition of Fila Brasileiro in Porto Ferreira can be accessed on CAFIB’s site, www.cafib.org.br or www.cafibbrasil.com.

Of the testimony of Jaime Perez, we sumarize in a single sentence: CAFIB - INCOMPARABLE