The history of the Blue Weimaraner is a uniquely American one. It is full of drama, politics, in-fighting and argument, and has been this way for almost 70 years and remains unresolved today.
Part I: From 1949 to 1970 (full article)
Summary: The Blue Weimaraner was on equal status with the Gray, and it was during this period that we had Blue Weimaraner Champions. This is not to say there was no controversy over the coat color during this period. On the contrary, the controversy actually started from the very beginning with one of the first Weimaraners imported into the United States, Cäsar von Gaiberg (“Tell”). The Weimaraner Club of America conducted an investigation of this dog, and disqualification of the Blue was unsuccessfully attempted in 1951 and 1965.
Part II: From 1970 to 2007 (full article)
Summary: The Weimaraner Club of America strongly moved to disqualify the Blue Weimaraner in the early 1970’s. This period was fraught with terrible in-fighting, accusations of cheating, and appeals to the AKC. But it ended — or so everyone thought — with the Blue Weimaraner ultimately being disqualified in 1972. Controversy continued to range on since the disqualification, and the Blue Weimaraner was abandoned by breeders that wished to breed within the Weimaraner standard. A case of unintended consequences left the Blue largely in the hands of breeders who exploited the color.
Part III: From 2007 to Today
Summary: The Blue Weimaraner Club of America was formed in 2007 by a small group of Blue Weimaraner fanciers who felt that the disqualification ultimately hurt the Weimaraner breed as a whole, and the Blue Weimaraner in particular. They petitioned the WCA for removal of the disqualification in 2008, which was was unsuccessful. New breed status is not being pursued since the AKC does not permit a new breed based on a disqualifying fault of an existing breed, so the BWCA exists to promote and protect the Blue Weimaraner variety. Today the Blue Weimaraner is an AKC registerable Weimaraner that is disqualified in the show ring but allowed to participate in performance events. Performance based registries such as the North American Versatile Hunting Association also accept the Blue Weimaraner. The Blue Weimaraner is not accepted in any other country.