We leave tomorrow for the biggest grooming trade show and competition in the country.
Groom Expo is hosted by Barkleigh Productions in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The weekend holds much learning, shopping, competing, and fun for all attendees. I (Erin) will be competing with a customer's Kerry Blue Terrier, Connor. This will be only my second time grooming him as he is maintained mostly by his mom. Kerry's happen to be one of my favorite breeds to compete with as you can tell by the numerous pictures I have with them from my competitions.
I will also be using a friend's miniature Parti-Poodle, Sticks. He is quite the eye-catcher in the ring, so I'm hoping this will make a favorable impression on the judges. Nothing hurts when you're trying to get in the placements! I have never groomed Sticks before, but feel Poodles are my strongest breed, so am hoping we do well.
This will be my first competition in Level 3 which is the higest level and where I am able to start competing for Groom Team points. For every placement, you receive a number of points, depending on how big your class is, and at the end of the year, the top ten point winners are placed onto Groom Team USA. Every 2 years the top five point winners make up the travel team and attend the International Groom Olympics. This year they are being held in Germany on September 19 and 20. While I hope to someday be a part of that travel team, I am sure my rookie year will be one of learning, growing, and improving.
Lastly, we plan on indulging in some shopping for an expected move in the near future. We will not be going far...only several doors down from our current location, but we are looking forward to some much needed space to expand and better serve our pet patrons. We plan on also including a Do It Yourself Dog Spa to make people's lives, homes, and pets cleaner by the day. Check back soon as we will have competition results as well as more news on our upcoming expansion. Have a good weekend, and give your pets a hug!
