Américo Cardoso dos Santos Júnior

A DOG BREEDER RESUME

Américo Cardoso dos Santos Júnior, owner of the Araguaya Kennel in Vargem Grande Paulista (SP), is one of the founders of CAFIB – Commission for the Improvement of the Fila Brasileiro – which became CAFIB – Improvement Club of the Fila Brasileiro - and has integrated its Board since 1978, when this entity was established. That same year, he was part of the first class formed in the São Paulo capital by the lawyer and “all rounder" judge, Paulo Santos Cruz - considered the “Father of the Breed” -, in the course he lectured on anatomy and genetic improvement of dogs, with emphasis on the Fila Brasileiro breed, its history and the problems resulting from mixed-breeding and falsification of pedigrees. Also in 1978, with the objective of contributing to the moralization of the breed, he became judge of the then BKC-Brasil Kennel Club. However, the following year, as a result of misunderstandings of this so-called mater entity of Brazilian cynophilia with CAFIB, he was, along with other members of the Commission, eliminated from the BKC refereeing board. In 1983, he was appointed official representative of Brazil for the prestigious international magazine, published in Germany,“Molosser Magazin”, official bulletin of the “Club Für Molosser and V.”, which greatly stood out the Fila Brasileiro and sympathized with CAFIB in its struggle to improve the pure Fila. In 1985, he joined the Board of the International Molosser Fellowship, or Internationaler Molosser Förderkreis, chaired by British Douglas B. Oliff, one of the world's best known authorities in large molossoids.

The interest and dedication of the newly elected President of CAFIB to dog breeding studies began still in childhood, when he started acquiring all kinds of publications available on the subject, a collection that today constitutes a significant part of his huge library consisting of thousands of books and more than one thousand titles specialized on various aspects of dog breeding, in addition to animal husbandry (zootechny), and animal genetic improvement (ezoognose). Also since his childhood, he has always been involved in the breeding and genetic improvement of domestic animals, because, while still a boy, he closely and intensely followed the selection of Quarter Horses, held in the region of Araçatuba (SP), by his uncle Francisco “Chiquito” Furquim Corrêa, pioneer in this activity in Brazil, as he was the first to acquire foals and fillies of this breed (then still called here Quarter Horse), from the company that introduced the breed in our country: “Swift King Ranch”, Brazilian subsidiary of legendary “King Ranch”, the largest farm in the United States, established in 1873, in Texas. 

His involvement with horse breeding and horse riding was intensified in 1971, when he served the military, taking up cavalry at CPOR (Center for the Preparation of Reserve Officers) and started to integrate the equestrian team that represented this corporation in jump tests by several Brazilian States. From then on, he became a professional in this area, starting to horse-riding, competing and giving riding classes for many years, at the Equestrian Club of Santo Amaro, where he was also a student of various Olympic riders. In the 1980's, he started to devote himself to the activity of rural producer and - always with the huge enthusiasm and strong technical support of his wife, veterinarian Cleide Cocito Cardoso dos Santos - he started intense work toward breeding and genetic improvement of bovines P.O. of the Guzerá breed, in addition to, in parallel, producing also cutting cattle. Along with the cattle, in the Tocantins State, he continues with his old passion for horses, dedicating himself to the selection of Brown Horses. Also in the 80’s, he worked, for decades, at the then Rede Bandeirantes de Rádio e Televisão, today Grupo Bandeirantes de Comunicação, in the production and direction of programs turned to  farming technology, recording news articles in country properties of prominence and, mainly, in agencies of research, throughout the domestic territory – such as the several experimental stations of Embrapa, IAC, Institute of Zootecnia, in addition to several universities dedicated to education and research in the areas of agronomy, veterinary medicine and zootechny – for television programs of national scope, such as Agricultural World, Agrojornal, Daily Agricultural etc.

The new Chairman of CAFIB - who now occupies this position for the second time – during these 40 years of uninterrupted performance at the Club, was part of several examining boards for the formation of new members for its board of referees. And participated countless times, of the team, initially commanded by Paulo Santos Cruz, who, for many years, over thousands of kilometers, toured almost the entire national territory continuously, especially the South of Minas Gerais, in search for and to rescue specimens of old pure lineages, kept in traditional rural properties. His vast performance in support of the breed also includes the writing of several technical articles published in Brazil and in several South American, North American and European countries. One needs to further point out his intense participation in hundreds of Analyses of Phenotype and Temperament and judgments at CAFIB’s specialized exhibitions in many Brazilian states, as well as in Argentina, Uruguay, United States, Spain and the Czech Republic.

In cynophilia, Américo and Cleide – in addition to the strong involvement with Fila Brasileiro - also have great practical experience in the conviviality, breeding and training of several other breeds, such as Great Dane, German Sheepdog, Irish Wolfhound, Cane Corso, Border Collie, Lhasa Apso, Miniature Pinscher etc.

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