During the days of 3 and 4 November 2018, tests were held on rock partridges valid for the assignment of II ° Enci Trophy "Alectoris Graeca" and the V ° Trophy "Alectoris Graeca Whitakeri", organized by the Cinofilo Trinacria Group and the Beccacciai and Perniciai Association with the collaboration of the Marsalese Cinofilo Group, the Sicilian CPACS Council, the Italian Club Bracco Francese and the Kurzhaar Italian Club delegation Sicily. All this took place in the Forest Demani of Monte Pecoraro, Monte Palmeto and Montagna Longa that overlook Palermo in a breathtaking scenery with a view up to the Gulf of Castellammare and the Island of Ustica. The organizing committees benefited from the precious collaboration from the Regional Councilorship for Agriculture in the person of its Director General Dr. Mario Candore who did not miss the presence on the testing grounds wanting to directly appreciate the goodness and usefulness of this important zootechnical event.
Very difficult and demanding terrains, albeit characterized by the particular beauty of the mountain landscape, populated by a good density of cotorne that survive thanks to the protective intervention of the Forestry Command of territorial competence, which, thanks to the work of its men, it watches over and protects these environments and the fauna present here. Outside the technical aspect, what the members of the Trinacria Dog Group and some of the closest collaborators put in place during the whole year in favor of Whitakeri, with interventions that aim to guarantee sources of drinking troughs during the periods of greater drought and help in nourishment, allowing this species survival and the return to the numbers that in the past characterized the mountains of Palermo.
The occasion for the tests was also the moment of realization of the project that ENCI is conducting with ISPRA, through the direct census works that the Expert Judges conducted during the judging of the shifts, providing, with the use of the application put to them available, with immediacy and precision of allocation, data relating to the presence of rock partridges found with the use of pointing dogs. A battery of continental for the first day, (entrusted to Francesco Francaviglia) and a battery of English both on Saturday and Sunday, (with Antonino La Barbera and Marco Ragatzu): excellent performances manifested by the small number of participants who faced with evident experience for the aspects that characterize this competition note, among which only one manages to materialize by splicing the ranking.
This is the pointer Benny di Lombardino who is not at his first results in the mountains and who wins the battery with the 1st Excellent. Benny is awarded the XNUMXth “Alectoris Graeca Whitakeri” Trophy. Also noteworthy is the good performance put in place by the setter Gemma di Scornavacche. A zootechnical event particularly rich in aspects which, albeit linked to dog lovers, are characterized by those aimed at the environment and wildlife.