Idioma:

First South American Championship and more than 400 pure filas at Cafib’s exhibitions in Brazil and abroad

The 40^th anniversary of CAFIB's Brazilian Fila Enhancement Club was especially celebrated with the holding of seven exhibitions throughout 2018 in Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Piauí and Uruguay (in the city of Canelones), which transformed the traditional and disputed Brazilian CAFIB’s Championship, for the first time, into a South American Championship.

Out of the total 402 specimens, 401 Filas were enrolled and participated (several participated in more than one exhibition), among which 68 brindles (16.91% of the total participants). The stock was judged in total by 12 specialized judges from the staff of CAFIB’s, Brazilian and foreign arbitrators. One hundred and thirty four (134) dogs went through the Analyses of Phenotype and Temperament (APT), of which 114 (85.08%) were approved, and 20 (14.92%) were rejected. According to CAFIB’s rules, those approved may participate in exhibitions and be used for reproduction, provided they comply with the criteria required by the Club's regulations. The rejected dogs cannot be enrolled in exhibitions and their owners are advised not to mate them, so as to avoid the reproduction of unwanted or detrimental characteristics to the breed.

CAFIB emerged 40 years ago, first as a Commission, the result of a round table with the participation of several breeders, among them Dr. Paulo Santos Cruz, and representatives of Brasil Kennel Club, Kennel Club Paulista and Clube Paulista do Fila Brasileiro, held on March 19, 1978 in the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo by late journalist Antonio Carvalho Mendes. At an official meeting on May 7 of that year, the Commission was formalized by its present members, becoming known as the Commission for the Enhancement of Fila Brasileiro. Subsequently, the various representatives of BKC, KCP and CPFB decided to leave the Commission spontaneously because they did not agree with the proposal of the other members to carry out a strict selection effort on the existing stock registered at the "official entities" through the removal of the breeding of the animals resulting from cross-breeding, after thorough Analyses of Phenotype and Temperament (APT).

The other members of the Commission, then known as CAFIB, after launching the newspaper “O Fila” in December 1978, printing the visual standard of the pure Fila (O Fila, No. 5, April 1979) and disclosing the new standard of the pure Fila Brasileiro (O Fila No. 8, of July 1979), written by Dr. Paulo Santos Cruz, with the collaboration of the active members of the Commission, decided on August 13, 1979 (20 days after the ultimatum given on July 24, 1979 to BKC to settle the issue of mix-breeding - O Fila, No. 8) changing the Commission into a Club for the Enhancement of Fila Brasileiro – CAFIB, as an entity independent from BKC (O Fila, No. 9, August 1979). Thus, a long, difficult and laborious journey got started, which has already completed 40 years and made CAFIB known and respected in Brazil and in the world.

NEW DIRECTORS

In the Assembly of the Permanent Deliberative Council, on June 23, 2018, Américo Cardoso dos Santos Junior, was elected president and took office on July 9, together with the new board of directors.

SEVEN EXHIBITIONS

Exceptionally in 2018, instead of five exhibitions, as it has been the case in recent years, CAFIB’s board of directors held seven exhibitions, distinguishing two, which were held for the first time in the cities of Teresina, Piauí, and Pará de Minas, Minas Gerais. The others were: the 11^th in Itanhandu (MG), the 5^th in Jacareí (SP), the 4^th in Três Corações (MG), the 2^nd in Canelones, Uruguay, and the 33^rd in Guaratinguetá (SP).

A relevant fact was the large participation of breeders and exhibitors from the State of Minas Gerais, highlighting the fact that breeding remains strong and of quality in this state, considered the cradle of the Fila Brasileiro breed. Three of the six exhibitions were held in Brazil - in the cities of Itanhandu, Três Corações and Pará de Minas.

The Filas from the State of Minas Gerais won the following titles in the exhibitions in Brazil:

- Best Male in all 6 exhibitions;

- Best Female, Best Temperament and Best Head, in 5 events.

The presence of a significant number of brindle dogs, in a total of 68 out of 402 (16.91%), points out the interest of breeders and exhibitors in increasing the participation of Filas with this characteristic in CAFIB’s stock.

The seven exhibitions of 2018 were acclaimed by breeders, exhibitors, judges and fans from 71 cities in Brazil and abroad, with or without dogs.

From Brazil, fans from 58 cities of seven states (in alphabetical order) attended:

Goiás - (2) Aparecida de Goiânia and Goiânia

Maranhão - (2) Caxias and São Luís

Minas Gerais - (27) Aiuruóca, Araxá, Baependi, Belo Horizonte, Campo Belo, Carmo de Minas, Coqueiral, Cordisburgo, Curvelo, Formiga, Governador Valadares, Guaxupé, Ibirité, Igaratinga, Itamonte, Itanhandu, Nepomuceno, Nova Serrana, Passa Quatro , Perdões, Pará de Minas, Prudente de Moraes, São José da Lapa, São Lourenço, São Tomé das Letras, Três Corações and Varginha

Piauí - (2) Teresina and Timon

Rio de Janeiro – (1) Rio de Janeiro

Rio Grande do Sul - (2) Pinheiro Machado and Porto Alegre

São Paulo - (22) Aparecida, Biritiba Mirim, Caçapava, Cruzeiro, Descalvado, Guaratinguetá, Guararema, Guarulhos, Jacareí, Mogi das Cruzes, Paraibuna, Porto Ferreira, Santa Branca, Santa Isabel, Santos, São Bernardo do Campo, São Carlos, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Suzano, Tambaú and Vargem Grande Paulista

From abroad, there were Fila breeders from 14 cities of five countries (in alphabetical order):

Argentina - (1) Concepción Del Uruguay

United States - (1) New Jersey

Costa Rica - (1) Alajuela

Spain - (2) Alicante and Barcelona

Uruguay - (9) Canelones, Ciudad de la Costa, El Pinar, Las Piedras, Litoral del Sauce, Montevideo, Salinas, San José and Trinidad.

IN ITANHANDU, A RECORD OF 101 FILAS

The first event of the year, opening the celebrations of the 40^th anniversary, was the 107^th National Exhibition of Fila Brasileiro, and the 11^th CAFIB’s Fila Brasileiro Exhibition of Itanhandu, on April 8, judged by the judges and founders of CAFIB, Airton Campbell, of São Paulo (SP), and Américo Cardoso dos Santos Junior, from Vargem Grande Paulista (SP), current president of the Club.

An unprecedented event: 101 Filas were registered on the track, of which 17 (16.87%) were brindle. Américo judged 39 males; and Airton, judged 62 females. A record, in these 40 years of CAFIB’s work, which can hardly be beaten, although the club is hopeful that this number will be exceeded at some point in the future. The event was, once again, organized by Cintia and Gerson Junqueira de Barros, from the Itanhandu Kennel (Itanhandu, MG).

In the Analysis of Phenotype and Temperament (APT), which always predates CAFIB’s exhibitions, 16 dogs participated, of which 2 were rejected due to disqualifying temperament.

José Mario Rojas Ocampo, and his wife Ligia, of Isidreño Kennel, from the city of Alajuela, Costa Rica, attended these events and traditionally come to Itanhandu to honor CAFIB.

Another prominent participation was that of our representative in the United States, Juan Carlos Hernandes of New Jersey, accompanied by his wife, Cindy.

Also attending the event was Argentinean Zenon Gustavo Cousillas, of Timbués Kennel, from the city of Concepción Del Uruguay. Zenon, besides attending the exhibition, and also taking part in it, took advantage of the company and the hospitality of Felício Uniello, of the Chapéu Preto Kennel, from the city of Biritiba Mirim, where he was accommodated. In the company of Felício, he visited some breeders, among them the Araguaya Kennel, owned by Cleide and Américo Cardoso, in Vargem Grande Paulista the Instinto Atravessado Kennel, owned by Cristiano Gonçalves Vieira, in São Bernardo do Campo and others.

Gaucho Carlos Eduardo Gonçalves, “Pipico” of Borghetto Kennel, from the city of Pinheiro Machado, Rio Grande do Sul, also honored the opening of CAFIB's 40^th anniversary celebrations.

JACAREÍ EXPO

The second exhibition of the year was the 5^th Exhibition of CAFIB’s Fila Brasileiro of Jacareí, held on May 20 and organized by Flávio Pires, Palmares Kennel. The judges were Mariana Campbell, of São Paulo (SP), who judged the females, and Pedro Carlos Borotti, of Porto Ferreira (SP), who judged the males. Thirteen dogs were submitted to the analysis, one of which was rejected due to negative reaction in the temperament test. On the track, there were 51 Filas, 22 males and 29 females. Six brindle Filas also participated.

TERESINA EXPO

After many years without exhibitions in the Northeast, CAFIB finally, out of the initiative of the representative in Piauí, Leo de Souza Lima, owner of Itapi Kennel, promoted the 1^st Exhibition of CAFIB’s Fila Brasileiro of Teresina, on May 20. To accomplish the event, Leo was assisted by physician Aluisio Melo Filho, owner of the Realengo Kennel, in the city of São Luiz, Maranhão, by Gorthon Lima Moritz, of Recanto Moriá Kennel, from Teresina, and by Vitor Abreu de Souza, Léo's partner in Itapi Kennel, also from Teresina.

Américo Cardoso dos Santos Junior, from Vargem Grande Paulista (SP) and president of CAFIB, and Luciano José de Almeida Gavião, from Descalvado (SP) judged this exhibition.

Forty-one (41) dogs were analyzed, of which 17 were rejected, mostly due to disqualifying reaction in the temperament test. By atypicality, two were rejected and one was rejected due to dental failure. This high rate of rejection (41.46%), motivated mainly by lack of temperament, is explained by the fact that the breeders of the Northeast attended exhibitions of the CBKC-FCI, in which any reaction of aversion to the judge and to other exhibitors is punished with the disqualification of the dog and its immediate removal from the track. This fact contributes to a selection in the sense of loss of aversion to strangers and temperament, fundamental characteristics for a watchdog, especially the Fila Brasileiro.

At the exhibition, 22 Filas were judged: nine (9) males, by Américo and thirteen (13) females, by Luciano. Only three (3) brindle Filas were on the track.

This was the first exhibition in the Northeast after the 1980’s and 1990’s, when CAFIB held several exhibitions in Salvador and Recife, which took place respectively by our directors, judges and representatives, Antonio da Silva Lima and José Souto Maior Borges.

The 2018 Expo Teresina presentation circular reported that Piauí, in the Tupi language, means "river of piabas" (a type of fish). Its capital, Teresina, is the only one located outside the coastal region, because its colonization was not started from the coast, but by cattle ranchers who came from Bahia and went up north in search for better pastures for their herds. Of the nine Northeastern states, Piauí, squeezed between Ceará and Maranhão, is the one with the smallest sea front, with only 66 kilometers of coast. Teresina boasts that it was the first officially planned capital of Brazil, built in a geometric pattern, with symmetrically arranged streets arranged in parallel lines, all starting from the Parnaíba River towards the Poty River. Because its central region is located between these two rivers, the city was nicknamed "Mesopotamia of the Northeast”. It is also often called the "Green City" - a designation created by the Maranhão-born writer Coelho Neto - due to its dense vegetation cover.

TRÊS CORAÇÕES EXPO

On August 19, the city of Três Corações (MG) hosted the 4^th Exhibition of CAFIB’s Fila Brasileiro, an event organized once again by Átila Luis Branquinho Dias, of the Barão dos Filas Kennel, of Três Corações, Pedro Yuri Ramos Avilar da Silva, of the Pyra Kennel, also of Três Corações, and Marcus Flavio Vilas Boas Moreira, of Guardiães do Caracu Kennel, of Nova Serrana (MG).

Judges Luciano José de Almeida Gavião, of Descalvado (SP), and Paulo Augusto Monteiro de Moura, of Belo Horizonte (MG) judged, respectively, 32 females and 31 males, totaling 63 Filas, of which 11 were brindle. In the Analysis, 17 dogs were approved.

José Mario Rojas Ocampo, from Costa Rica, traveled this time exceptionally, alone, without the company of his wife, especially to watch the exhibition, but ended up participating as an assistant to the judges. Jose Mario is a great breeder and has in his Isidreño Kennel, in Costa Rica, more than 20 Filas.

PARÁ DE MINAS EXPO

At the 1^st CAFIB’s Fila Brasileiro Exhibition in Pará de Minas, CAFIB had the honor to have as judge Jaime Peres Marhuenda, from Alicante, Spain, who came to Brazil with his wife Elvira, his children Adrian, Marco and Gabriela, plus the young German girl Hanah, Adrian's girlfriend, who studies in Barcelona. Jaime, from his history alongside CAFIB and long friendship with all the directors and judges, was invited and promptly accepted to participate in the commemorations of CAFIB’s 40^th anniversary.

The exhibition was organized by Wesley Souza Antunes, from the Caboclo Mineiro Kennel, of Igaratinga (MG), once again with the relentless Marcus Flávio, also affectionately called “Marquinhos” by his friends.

Elmo Fonseca Lopes, from B & L Kennel, in Belo Horizonte (MG), acted as an assistant to the secretary, assistant to the judge and as speaker of the event.

There were 10 CAFIB judges, who traveled to Pará de Minas to enjoy the company and the few days that Jaime Perez and family spent in Minas Gerais: Airton, Américo, Fabiano, Giovane, Jonas, Luciano, Marcus, Mariana, Paulo Augusto and Pedro Borotti.

In the analisys were approved 16 Filas; only one was rejected due to disqualifying temperament.

The exhibition had the participation of 66 Filas, 20 males and 46 females, with the surprising participation of 14 brindle Filas, representing 21.21% of the total, a record percentage. In a statement published in the Circular about Expo Pará de Minas on CAFIB’s website on November 12, Jaime declared the brindle Fila was his favorite color. Such a happy coincidence!

The municipality of Pará de Minas is about 90 kilometers west of the state capital, Belo Horizonte. In the second half of the 17^th century the place was a stopping point for bandeirantes (adventurers), such as Fernão Dias Pais Leme, Borba Gato and others, in search for gold and precious stones, especially in today’s historic cities of Pitangui and Onça de Pitangui. At present, the galleries of these deactivated mines are an important tourist attraction in a region that continues to this day, constantly traveled by treasure hunters, equipped with metal detectors, hopeful to find a legendary gold pot, which would have been buried in the region in the 19^th century. The name Pará, which means "mighty river," was changed in 1921 to Pará de Minas, to avoid confusion with the state of the same name, in the North of the Country. Currently, the municipality stands out for the production of poultries and swines.

URUGUAY EXPO

Uruguay once again surprised with the accomplishment of the 3^rd Analysis of Phenotype and Temperament (APT), held on November 3, with the presence of 24 Filas, all approved. The 2^nd Exhibition of CAFIB’s Fila Brasileiro of Uruguay was once again organized by Daniel Balsas, of Piedras de Afilar Kennel, from the city of Canelones, assisted by Carlos Eduardo Gonçalves, “Pipico”, of Borghetto Kennel, from the city of Pinheiro Machado (RS) .

Also from Rio Grande do Sul were Fabiano Aguiar Gonçalves, Canil Querência Velha and Ricardo Freiberger, Canil Tchê Munaias, both from Porto Alegre. From Argentina came Mariano Arbiza, Canil do Bemba and Zenon Gustavo Cousillas , Canil Timbués, both from Concepción del Uruguay.

The exhibition was judged by Mariana Campbell, from São Paulo (SP) and Jonas Tadeu Iacovantuono, from Guaratinguetá (SP). Fifty-three (53) Filas participated in the exhibition: Twenty-one (21) males, judged by Jonas, and thirty-two (32) females, judged by Mariana.

The brindles were represented by 10 Filas (18.86%).

With the previous accomplishment of three Analyses of Phenotype and Temperament (APT) in that country and one in Argentina, breeders, exhibitors and Filas derived from these two countries, started to participate in CAFIB’s exhibitions, marking points in the various categories of the Brazilian Championship. With the decision of the Club's board to introduce the Uruguayan Exhibition in CAFIB's annual calendar in 2018, the championship turned into a South American Championship for the first time.

GUARATINGUETÁ EXPO

In the close of the year and the anniversary celebrations of CAFIB, on December 2, the 108^th National Exhibition of CAFIB’s Fila Brasileiro and the 33^rd Guaratinguetá Exhibition were held, organized by the director, judge and representative in Vale do Paraíba, Jonas Tadeu Iacovantuono.

The exhibition was judged by Fabiano Nunes, from Guaratinguetá (SP), and Giovane Éder Carvalho, from Aparecida (SP).

In the analysie, only five dogs were exhibited, of which two were rejected due to disqualifying reaction in the tests of temperament and nervous system.

On the track, 46 Filas disputed the prizes - 17 males, judged by Fabiano, and 29 females, judged by Giovane. Of the total, 7 (15.21%) were brindle.

In this last exhibition of the year, CAFIB was honored with the presence of the representative of CAFIB in Uruguay, Daniel Balsas, accompanied by his son Mathias.

SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP

After these seven exhibitions, the final result of the South American Championship was as follows:

Breeder of the year 2018 – Canil Itanhandu, de Cintia e Gerson Ribeiro Junqueira de Barros, de Itanhandu-MG.

Vice Breeder of the year 2018 – Canil Recanto do Livramento de Leonardo Monteiro, de Cordisburgo_MG.

Exhibitor of the year 2018 - de Cintia e Gerson Ribeiro Junqueira de Barros, de Itanhandu-MG.

Vice Exhibitor of the year 2018 - Leonardo Monteiro, de Cordisburgo_MG.

South American Male Champion and Temperament of the year 2018-Aragon do Itanhandu.

South American Male Vice Champion and Vice Temperament of the year 2018 - Greco Recanto do Livramento.

South American Female Champion of 2018 – Sevilha do Itanhandu.

South American Female Vice Champion - Elba II de Jawa.

Male Reproducer of the year 2018 – Vulcão do Itanhandu.

Vice Male Reproducer of the year 2018 – Anjo do Portal dos Quatro Irmãos.

Female Reproducer of the year 2018 - Lana Logan Filas do Guapuruvu.

Vice Female Reproducer of the year 2018 –Fumaça do Itanhandu.

FOUR DECADES OF WORK

CAFIB's 40 years of work were dedicated exclusively to the preservation, improvement and genetic enhancement of the Fila Brasileiro breed, which in the 70's and 80's was almost extinct due to the irresponsibility of breeders who intensely crossed Filas with dogs of different breeds, mainly Neapolitan Mastiff, English Mastiff and Danish (German Dog).

During all these years, CAFIB analyzed, selected and encouraged breeding of approved Filas in the Analyses of Phenotype and Temperament (APT), designed and performed by Dr. Paulo Santos Cruz together with his students, who, becoming specialized judges of the breed, transmitted to other most recently graduated judges the knowledge acquired with their coexistence and constant learning, theoretical and practical, for more than twelve years, with the "Father of the Breed”.

In the work of selection and improvement of the Fila breed, the analyses are fundamental and are part of the genetic improvement, because, through them, only dogs that approach the racial standard of CAFIB prepared in 1978 are approved and released for reproduction and to participate of exhibitions, in accordance with criteria defined in the regulations for the breeding and exhibition of CAFIB, thus increasing the number of pure Brazilian Filas.

The standard was developed by Dr. Paulo Santos Cruz with the collaboration of his students approved as specialized judges of the breed, Airton Campbell, Américo Cardoso dos Santos Junior, Luiz Antonio Maciel, Marilia and Roberto Maruyama. For the consolidation and dissemination of the pure Fila standard, the visual standard was very important, designed that year by the plastic artist Marilda Mallet, also a student of the course and later approved as a judge. The work was performed under the technical guidance of Dr. Paulo Santos Cruz with the participation of the aforementioned judges, and later printed by the Purina feed company and distributed by that manufacturer and by CAFIB.

At a time when new versions of the origin of Fila, its phenotype, racial standard and the "Paulo Santos Cruz standard” are proliferating, fake news style, in the internet, it is worth remembering the text of CAFIB’s President Américo Cardoso dos Santos Júnior, published in a circular on the website of CAFIB (www.cafibbrasil.com), reporting a fact that occurred during the 1^st CAFIB’s Fila Brasileiro Exhibition in Pará de Minas (MG), reproduced below.

“(...) we were all surprised, judges and directors, who were talking to the local breeders and exhibitors about the question asked by one of the most interested members of that group. It was a young man who, without any embarrassment, candidly asked: “Sorry, but who is this Paulo Santos Cruz?” It is as if a Germanic breeder of German Shepherds asked who Captain Max von Stephanitz was; or as if an Argentinean breeder of Criollo horses had never heard the name of Emilio Solanet (in fact, the history of the formation of this equine breed and of its selection by Solanet, in his legendary "criadero" El Cardal, has many analogies with the work led by Santos Cruz in his also legendary Parnapuan kennel); or even as if a young athlete, aspiring to become a professional soccer player, would wonder: “Sorry, but who is this Pelé?”

Dr. Paulo Santos Cruz with José Hamilton Alves Pereira, Aquenta Sol Kennel, Varginha-MG, Creator of the year 1983.

Antonieta, Dr Paulo and Paulo Fernando Soares Angotti. Canil Ibituruna, Governador Valadares-MG, Creator of the Year 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1994.

ON THE WEBSITE, INFORMATION AND PHOTOS OF THE PURE FILAS

In addition to this work of genetic selection and enhancement of the Fila Brasileiro breed, CAFIB discloses on the websites www.cafibbrasil.com and www.cafib.org.br, its exhibitions through circulars in three languages (Portuguese, Spanish and English), in which the results are presented, accompanied by the photos of the three best Filas in the six classes in which the dogs are divided by age, in addition to the best temperaments and the best heads.

It is a showcase that exposes to the world what is best in the Fila Brasileiro breed, in typicality, morphology, movement, temperament and nervous system. In this manner, breeders, owners, admirers, interested people and dog-loving judges scattered around the world are informed through the internet and able to know the specimens of the breed that are closer to the visual standard of the pure Fila designed in 1978 and that represents the iconographic version of the written standard. Both the visual and written standards constitute the intellectual property of CAFIB and integrate the set of rules, regulations, procedures (such as Analyses of Phenotype and Temperament - APT) and Club records. They are the exclusive property of the Club for the Enhancement of the Fila Brasileiro because they are part of its innovative and unique system to fight mix-breeding and preservation of the breed’s purity and therefore cannot be copied or reproduced in Brazil and worldwide without previous authorization and under conditions defined by CAFIB.

The results of CAFIB's work during these 40 years can be evaluated by the results of the Fila Brasileiro Exhibits of the International Canine Federation (FCI, in Portuguese) in several parts of the world, whose champions are increasingly closer to the visual standard of CAFIB. The great difference is still the absence of aversion to strangers and the lack of temperament that are punished in the FCI system.

In this world panorama, the great exception is precisely Brazil, home to the Fila Brasileiro, where, in the exhibitions of FCI-affiliated clubs, a very large diversity of types prevails, which denounces the lack of racial purity, the basic principle which supports the entire FCI organization.

The contribution of CAFIB to the long-awaited and desired uniformity of the breed throughout the world has not yet reached the goal we long for, but considering the damage produced by the mix-breeders in the 1970’s, we can regard it as a huge step, and without the least possibility of a setback.

The Filas that stand out and win in the exhibitions and championships of CAFIB are recognized by the great majority of parties interested om the breed around the world, as authentic and excellent specimens that value the Fila Brasileiro breed.

CAFIB appreciates the support and solidarity of all those who have been on its side and participated directly or indirectly in its work in those 40 years.