From ruff fluff to glamour stuff
Monty the poodle is unfazed as his coat is brushed, teased and combed ‘‘from drab to fab’’.
And he has good reason to be relaxed. He’s in some of the most capable hands in Australasia.
Monty’s accolades stretch far into the world of show-doggery – he may soon be labelled a supreme champion. But his stylist, Emma Case-Peters, is already at the top of her game.
Case-Peters has won top New Zealand honours at the last three biennial national competitions.
She recently topped that off with the Best in Show award at GroomQuest 2017 in Sydney, beating her trans-Tasman rivals on their home turf with her own dog, Eddie.
Usually contestants would have to request a particular dog breed, but Eddie was favoured for her knowing what to expect and his ‘‘very expensive plane ticket’’ paid off.
‘‘Now he’s gone on his big OE. He’s staying there with another lady who actually came second in the poodle class, to me, and she’s going to take him to dog shows.’’
GroomQuest organiser Les Speerin said the show was Australia’s biggest grooming competition and Case-Peters was the first New Zealander to take its top award.
‘‘We had about 60 entries … [the competition] is growing and growing all the time. The pet industry is growing at a rapid rate.’’
But there was still the challenge of ‘‘getting people to understand it’’, Speerin said.
‘‘These things happen. Grooming contests for one, and also world titles and things like that as well.
‘‘We’re trying to get out there as much as we can to say this happens – not only in cricket, football and whatever, but in dog grooming, believe it or not.’’
Awards line the walls of the Bishopdale groomers where CasePeters works. She has been grooming about nine years and showing dogs since she was a child.
Speerin had been on the scene for about 15 years and ran boarding kennels and a grooming school.
‘‘We’ve actually trained people from New Zealand. We have a salon and a supplies company … It’s not work, it’s our life.’’
Case-Peters said she thought the fact it was a hobby as well played a part in her success over the years.
‘‘It’s exciting to make them look from drab to fab, I suppose you could catchphrase it.
‘‘They are somebody’s fourlegged family member, so you have to treat them with a lot of respect.’’
Despite her skillset, Case-Peters said she had never had an interest in training to become a hairdresser.
‘‘I don’t do people … we don’t have to talk to our customers.’’
"These things happen. Grooming contests for one, and also world titles and things like that as well." Les Speerin Organiser, GroomQuest