Local Groomer Judges Contest

After grooming pets for more than 30 years, one local groomer, Becky Edwards, Washington, got her first taste of judging a grooming competition.

Edwards judged a competition sponsored by the Missouri Pet Groomers Association and the Wisconsin Association of Professional Pet Stylists. The competition was held at the end of June at the ACK Museum of the Dog in Queeny Park, St. Louis.

“It was really fun watching all those people groom dogs,” she said.

The competition was open to all dogs, but primarily there were standard poodles, lowchens and springer spaniels. Novice and intermediate groomers competed.

The event also included speakers, with a presentation about Japanese accent grooming, which Edwards said was interesting.

In the past, Edwards has judged 4-H cat and dog contests and other competitions, competed in dog shows and showed dogs.

“I’ve always liked making dogs pretty and sending them home to happy people,” she said. “I love dogs. They’ve always been a part of my life.”

Edwards owns both a havanese and a Brussels griffon.

She is the owner of Becky Edwards Grooming Gallery in Washington, which she has run for about 15 years.