The Longhaired Weimaraner

Although the short haired Weimaraner had been known in the UK since 1952, it was not until 1973 that the longhaired Weimaraner made its debut in two diverse ways. Firstly in January 1973 a litter bred in Scotland by Mr. J. Seymour, contained one healthy long haired pup, with the possibility of a second that died. The pup was of a short haired mating Oretga Opal Mint x Grey Moonshadow of Duenna. He was registered as Mafia Man of Monroes and was owned by the late Joan Matuszewska (Monroes).

At the same time Roy and Ann Janson (Aruni) were negotiating with several Austrian breeders to buy a pup. Herr Seidl contacted them with the news of the availabilty of a bitch puppy. Together with Joan Matuszewska, they travelled to Austria and met Herr Seidl and were introduced to Asta von Gut Blaustauden. She had been bred by Rev. Foster Rudolf Trost and came from the Hungarian Czech border. Asta was imported by the Jansons and became their foundation bitch. One year later Dino von der Hagardburg joined the Janson household. These three dogs formed the foundation of the long hairs in the UK. A mating between Dino & Asta produced Aruni Dinwiddi from Seicer who was the first longhaired dog to gain 2 CC's in the show ring.

In 1979 Gill Smith (Woolborough/ Pondridge) imported Hasso von der Hagardburg. Two years later he was mated to Aruni Danya from Seicer and one of the offspring Pondridge Practical Joker became the first longhair Show Champion in the UK. He was owned by Shirley Anderton (Thrihyrne) It would be a further fifteen years before the second longhaired would gain his title He is Pondridge Pioneer of Denmo owned by Denise Mosey (Denmo). The most recent import came from America in 1992, when Gill Smith and Ruth Williams ( Coppettwood ) brought in After Nani's Tip and Run Topsider.

A decision was made by the Weimaraner Club of Great Britain in 1977 on the recommendation of Doctor Willis to allow the breeding of long hair to short hair. Information had been given by Roy Janson that one of the offspring from the original mating of the Austrian dogs had been put down due to a possibility of hereditary epilepsy. Further studies were made of siblings and offspring of a repeat mating and some showed a tendency to epilepsy. As a result of these mixed matings the chances of a long hair pup appearing in a short hair litter is more likely.

A litter was born in Ireland, and three of the offspring were longhair pups, in what should have been a short hair litter. One of these pups Missy Clown owned by Miriam Coyle was later mated to Gill Smith's Phantom Piper of Pondridge and produced Tomirsin Aileen the top winning longhair bitch in the early 1990's and Sue Gallagher's (Galrhia) foundation bitch. It is interesting to note that the stud dog's sire Ch Reeman Aruac CDex UDex WDex TDex bred by Mrs D.L. Reid and owned by Mr R. Lynch was a short hair but carried the long hair recessive gene. He was a result of a mating between Sh Ch Arimar's Rolf V.D. Reiteralm x Hawsvale Merganser. The dam was bred by Cdr Val. Hawes (Hawsvale) who owned Ulhan Champelle of Hawsvale the short haired litter sister to Mafia Man of Monroes.

The longhair competes with the short hair in the show ring and as has been noted with success. The number competing in Field trials has been small. Monroes Fieldfare owned by Joan Matuszewska and handled by Mr T Griggs was the first to gain a Certificate of Merit at the Weimaraner Club of Great Britain Novice trial in 1980. Ruth William's Hawsvale Whitebeam also gained a Certificate of Merit in a Novice trial and Wyndlee Silver Candy owned by Dorothy Shall (Langhaar) to date, the highest placed longhaired at Novice trials gaining a second place, two third places, and numerous Certificate of Merit. Winndue Aeneas owned & handled by Bernice McGee has been the latest to gain Certificate of Merit at a Novice trial.

In 1987 the Bruno Trophy for Working Trials was won by Ruth Williams with her homebred bitch Damaris Twilight CDex UDex WD ex TDex and this was the first time that a longhaired bitch had gained a Working Trial qualification.  In 1990 Ruth Williams won the Bruno trophy again, this time with Coppettwood Domino Marcasite CDex UDex WDex, another homebred longhaired bitch. The third homebred longhaired bitch to gain a Working Trial qualification was Fursdon Fairytale gaining CDex, UDex & WDex. In turn her daughter Fursdon Twylyte Tramontano K9MS2 AD BH FH1, FH2, CDex UDex WDex TDex owned by Allyson Tohme is to date the most highly qualified longhaired bitch having gained numerous ‘firsts' in the breed. She is the first Weimaraner in the UK to achieve the ‘Begleithund' in Schutzhund and the first Weimaraner to pass the ‘Auderprufung' in Schutzhund and also to gain the Fahrtenundprufung 1 title in Schutzhund. Twiggy has also won the Bruno trophy for two years running and the Weimaraner of the Year award in 2006.

Pictured above: Twiggy

Thus in the intervening years since 1973, the long hair Weimaraner has made its mark both in the showing and working.