History

Since I was a child, I have been involved with man’s best friend – the dog – on a daily basis. My father, Dr. Tibor Letko, founded the breeding kennel Tatranska Romanca, which was registered 21.01.1969. Even though his first dog was a German Shepherd, his first breeding successes were with collies, a very fashionable breed at the time, also made popular by the film “Lassie”. My father imported his first dog, descended from Dunsinane Riff of Rokeby and Jenny v. Sand am Meer, from a prestigious breeding kennel in England.

Already the first litter of the afore mentioned pair meant success that many a breeder could only dream of. The best of the litter – APOLLO Tatranska Romanca – won reams of awards and achieved victories at international shows in Brno, Prague, Budapest, Opole, and other cities. The most significant victories were in Mannheim, Germany in 1972, and in Innsbruck, Austria and Munich, Germany in 1976. Other very successful dogs followed Apollo: Bambi, Blacky, Bessi, Nicki, etc.

As it would be, we were not satisfied with breeding only collies. Beside this breed, we started making history with our breed of West Highland White Terriers, with which we achieved successes similar to those we had had with our collies…. In 1977 my parents imported a pair of Lhasa Apso – Dolsa on the Spot and The Guilty Party - a breed then completely unknown in the former Czechoslovak Republic. It was the first pair in the country and it produced the first litter. I will not write about the successes of the Tatranska Romanca Breeding Kennel’s litters at international shows, since my text would turn out to be very long. Although my relationship to dogs continued, it also influenced my decision to leave home and further my education at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Kosice, Czechoslovak Republic.

At that time we were fascinated by German Shepherds. This period was a major turning point in my life, defining the direction my interests as a breeder would go. When we imported a puppy descended from VA1 Uran Wildsteiger Land, I realized that, in my eyes, there was no longer a more beautiful dog or one closer to my heart than the German Shepherd. The puppy – Toby v. Loher Stein - became one of the kennel’s best breeding dogs.

Dick Bad-Boll and Kim Jahnhohe followed, not achieving the successes of Toby, if only due to my father’s serious heart problems and my preoccupation with caring for my parents. After many years of inactivity and Kim’s death when she was fourteen, the back-yard turned silent – without any dogs. It was a silence we were not used to after so many years with dogs.

We could not resist the urge – and started looking for a new German Shepherd directly in Germany. After looking at various breeding kennels, I chose one of the most renowned: Wildsteiger Land. Following a seemingly endless waiting period, we bought the pair Terz and Tami, who are the basis of the new breeding kennel ROSSBURG.

In 2006 I imported a new bitch – Jana v. Suentelstein, daughter of Zamp Thermodos.

A lot of hard work, many hours spent taking care of our dogs, and the cooperation of the Agir Bohemia Breeding Kennel resulted in descendents of Tami and Jane. I hope that in the future my passion for German Shepherds will not abandon me but continue to bring me joy, reaffirming my belief that dogs are a man’s most trusted friend.