CHERYL PURCELL

I started out in the pet industry as a manager of a pet store. One year we had a fire in the front of the store and we where closed all summer. The rear of the store where the grooming room was was unharmed. The owner wanted to keep grooming so I had to stay with the groomer so she wouldn’t be alone. As it turns out she was a friend of mine and I helped her bath and brush dogs, hold cat etc. She taught me how to shave dogs nothing fancy. I took a liking to it and after the store was back up and running I asked the owner if I could groom a couple of days a week in one of the other stores, she said yes. I did this for about a year. Then I went and interviewed for a full time grooming position at another shop. I worked there for almost 2 years. I had a chance to see other groomer work and expand on the breeds that I knew.

My step mom was also grooming out of a vets office doing pretty much the same thing mostly shave downs some modified cuts you know the every day stuff we do. Any way she decided to leave there and asked me if I wanted to open a shop with her and of course I said yes that was in April of 1994. We where open about 5 months when we went to our first trade show, Groom Expo in Hershey and I was blown away. I’d heard about these shows and seminars but had never gone.

When I got the info on NEPGP I knew I was going that was November of 1994. My mom (thanks mom) talked me into competition. I thought that I did a pretty decent cocker so I borrowed a client’s dog and off I went. I was in for the shock of my life. The dogs entering into the class looked better before grooming them mine did when they left the shop. But I went in anyway, what was the worst thing that could happen I lose. Well I didn’t place but I made sure that I got a critique form the judge.

My mom said to try it again and just do the best I could. I read every book I could on cockers. We left for a show in King of Persia PA. I had a black cocker in full coat and my moms little Shih Tzu that I did like a cocker. I didn’t do to bad I got second with the Shih Tzu. I got to go to a great hands on seminar and I got certified in sporting that weekend through NDGAA. I was hooked.

I’ve been to NEPGP every year since competing and learning every thing I could; I also start to go to Intergroom and Groom Expo. I did fair, nothing great, a win here and there. I only had one first place that was in 1998 in a mixed class with a Standard in a teddy bear clip. Then I went to Atlantic City in 2000 and did very well and ended up with best all groomer. I thought that’s what I wanted, to be in A division I wasn’t half bad and I was getting better. Boy was I wrong, A division was so hard, and I went a while with out a placement I was getting very discouraged. Then in stepped a friend; with the best advice anyone has ever given me. They said to start taking private lessons form groomers that I looked up to, so I did.

After some lessons and lots and lots of practice and about a year with no wins in A division, another friend told me about the Atlanta Pet Fair and that there where 3 levels not just the two I was use too. I thought that this was the prefect place for me to compete. I flew to Atlanta with my friend and compete in 3 classes. Sporting with a parti American Cocker, large non-sporting with a Standard, and Misc, with a shih-tzu mix. I ended up winning first in all three classes in Intermediate and going third in the group all 3 classes; this earned me enough points to get on to the Groom Team rankings for 2002. I continued to compete for the remainder of the year and ended up #9 for the 2002-year end rankings.

I went all out in 2003 competiting at as many shows as I could and I didn’t do so badly, I held the number one spot from August to November. With only two shows left for the year, one in FL and the other in MA. I decided to stay in New England I end the 2003 year in Third place not to bad for a self taught groomer.

Groomer’s form around the country travel long and far to come to these shows on their weekends away form their shops and their families to via for a spot on the Groom Team. Each hoping that they will end up one of the top six groomers how will have a chance to go to the International Competitions and represent the USA. I hope some day to be one of those groomers.

I will be forever grateful to the people how have helped me come so far. To my husband and children for understanding that I need to be away a lot, and helping me with the dogs Thank You. To everyone how let me ask a million questions, judges and competitors alike Thank You. To everyone who let me borrow a dog for competition Thank You.