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HISTORY OF THE "CANE CORSO"
The etymology of the name "Corso" is still uncertain. The most credible hypothesis are those which indicate Greek origins: KORTOS = wall and from the Latin: COHORS = guard of the courtyard. Until recently the oldest documentation citing the name of the "Cane Corso", consisted of a few poems and some prose dating from 1500. In 1998 the A.I.C.C. or "Associazione Italiana Cane Corso" published a study on the race which brought to light the military use of the "Cane Corso", in 1137 in Monopoli di Sabina (near Rome), the finding of kennels from the period and the close links between the race and Roman history. Rome, used in war and for fighting in the circus, the aggressive and combative nature necessary for successfully reaching its goal, with no hesitation and with surprising potential force. Through contact with man in social situations he has learned to react only when necessary, becoming an excellent interpreter of human gestures. With these characteristics the "Cane Corso", has survived until today. In small settlements in the south of Italy where they have maintained an archaic system of agriculture and a multi purpose dog is an essential partner. For these reasons the SACC, two vice-presidents from different times stand out, Mr. Oreste Savoia and Dr. Flavio Bruno. In this period it must be highlighted that the activities of the SACC for the recognition of the "Cane Corso" were carried out with energy and appreciable results. Unfortunately the same cannot be said from the dog fanciers point of view because the level of quality of the litter thrown by Basir in 1980 were never repeated and the subjects produced, appeared and today still appear distant from the desired model and show considerable variation. In that period the SACC successfully organized dog fanciers meetings with the scope of making the race known and allow the judges of the ENCI to carry out tests and measurements. In 1992 in order to better follow the evolution of the Race the ENCI decided to record the births of "Corsi" born of parents verified by the judges and as such considered heads of blood lines, in an unofficial book called the "Libro Aperto" or open book. The data contained in this book was transferred into the official books when the race was officially recognized on January 20th 1994. The enthusiasm for this race, the curiosity and the knowledge that a greater number of dogs and a greater interest in the race would have helped in the push for recognition, lead to an uncontrolled increase in the production of litters with a consequent reduction in the average quality of the offspring. In this phase the SACC, not only omitted take any action to inhibit this phenomenon, but rather took every opportunity to publicize the race and themselves as its saviors. Under this pressure the number of "Corsi" produced jumped from a few tens of animals at the beginning to the current 2500 annual registrations. Given the lack of improvement in the quality of the animals produced the success of the race was vaunted in terms of numerical increase. This choice penalizing the zootecnical aspects paid of in terms of political ratification. On May 22nd 1996 at Arese the best "Cane Corso" were gathered. CH Boris was used as the model for the presentation of the characteristics of the race at the upper levels of the F.C.I. A few months later in November 1996 the "Cane Corso" was recognized at an international level. This seemed a positive result but it lead to further worsening of the system because many enthusiast from outside of Italy, inspired by the novelty of the situation bought the "Corso" without due care or consideration. Often their chose was based on lack of information, ready availability, colour or the price of the puppies. What has been revealed in the last few years is the total lack of a serious information service and management of the race at an international level. In the general confusion, those few who have tried to organize the "Cane Corso" enthusiasts in their own country have found difficulty in opening communication with the SACC which has often hid its obvious shortcomings behind a veneer of arrogance. Emblematic the situation in the U.S.A.: in a first time was recognized like SACC’s delegation the Cane Corso Club of America, after was recognized the I.C.C.F. (International Cane Corso Federation) and subsequent was refused the recognition of this association. In the October 1996 the SACC’s auditor Renzo Carosio ascertained heavy irregularity in the management and violation of the statute rules, for this He presented a denounce to the E.N.C.I. and the request of a direct intervention. In July of 1999, after years of superficial management and repeated disciplinary action ( inspection, appointment of commissary) the Enci finally relieved the SACC of recognition as the official club for the race of the "Cane Corso». In an attempt to obviate the situation some enthusiasts have founded the A.I.C.C. (Italian Cane Corso Association). In few time this new Association was be able to conquer the confidence and the estimation among the passionate in Italy and in the world, for this the Italian kennel club (E.N.C.I.) had decided to start the papers to recognize A.I.C.C. officially. If the second millenium closes under a cloud of uncertainty for the "Cane Corso", the third millenium opens with a great hope: the presidents of several national associations, Mr. Renzo Carosio for the Italian AICC, Mr. Micheal Ertaskiran for the American ICCF and Mr. Erik de Vries for the Dutch CCNL have decided to work together towards an international coordination of the race based on the commitment of serious dog lovers. |
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Last Updated 07/03/2009 |