Six questions with expert dog grooming competitor Kirsty Hunt

Meet Kirsty Hunt

Kirsty Hunt brings a lifetime of experience to dog grooming. Raised in a grooming and showing family, she is a salon and school owner, Poodle breed specialist,

Level 4 judge, EGA-qualified grooming judge, and World Champion with Groom Team England offering insight from every angle

For anyone new to grooming competitions, can you tell us who you are and how you first got involved?

I have been showing, handling and grooming dogs since I was a child, way back in the 1990s. My mother bred and showed poodles and was a dog groomer, so I think my future was a little inevitable. I competed in grooming as a junior and then took a break while campaigning my show dogs and started competing again in 2015. I love learning and I find competing helps immensely with this.

What does a typical competition prep day look like for you?

For me with my poodles, a few days before the show they are bathed, conditioned, face feet and tail clipped. Then depending on where the competition is located, another bath and dry the day before or morning of the competition and the prep including clipping hygiene areas, cleaning ears and nails clipped.

What’s the biggest challenge when preparing a dog for the ring?

For grooming competitions, I think it is always hard to gauge coat growth between events. Everyone who knows me knows I like to take a lot of hair to a competition.

What do judges look for at this level of competition?

I judge all competitions in the same manner. Prep work and amount of coat is a big factor for me. It is a grooming competition, so there must be a nice amount of coat to make a distinct before and after. Prep work is the most important part of any groom. To get a great result, you must put the work into the preparation. Shape and technique are hugely important, not necessarily the end 'finish'.

Anyone skilled at scissor finishing or handstripping can do a good job but they must get shape correct to make a great job.

What do you think separates a good groom from a winning groom?

Overall shape is hugely important for me, and the finer points are always the icing on the cake for a cake for a great groom. The finesse of a topknot on a show trim or the correct expression on a pet trim always catches my eye.

What would you say to groomers watching from home thinking, “I could never do that”?

Yes, you can! You are your only competition. Where else do you get time to enjoy grooming a beautiful dog, showcasing your skills, and getting amazing feedback and help/advice from the judges to help you improve and progress. You will get the bug and want to do it again, I promise you!