Judges
| Wire Coated Breeds: Friday AM | |
|---|---|
| Open | Sue Zecco and Jay Scruggs |
| Intermediate | Shannon Tupes |
| Entry | Guzal Adekoje |
| Group | Sue Zecco, Jay Scruggs, Shannon Tupes, and Guzal Adekoje |
| Rescue Clip-In: Friday PM | |
|---|---|
| Teri DiMarino | |
| Sporting: Friday PM | |
|---|---|
| Open | Colin Taylor and Jonathan David |
| Intermediate | Madeline Rothwell |
| Entry | Joey Villani |
| Group | Colin Taylor, Jonathan David, Madeline Rothwell, and Joey Villani |
| Salon Freestyle: Friday PM | |
|---|---|
| Open | Misty Gieczys and Blake Hernandez |
| Intermediate | Adriane Pope |
| Entry | Milena Kon |
| Group | Misty Gieczys, Blake Hernandez, Adriane Pope, and Milena Kon |
| All Other Purebreds: Saturday AM | |
|---|---|
| Open | Misty Gieczys and Colin Taylor |
| Intermediate | Shannon Tupes |
| Entry | Marta Antil |
| Group | Misty Gieczys, Colin Taylor, Shannon Tupes, and Marta Antil |
| Rescue Clip-In: Saturday PM | |
|---|---|
| Misty Gieczys | |
| Poodles: Saturday PM | |
|---|---|
| Open | Kazuaki Jingu and Victor Rosado |
| Intermediate | Madeline Rothwell |
| Entry | Mackensie Murphy |
| Group | Kazuaki Jingu, Victor Rosado, Madeline Rothwell, and Mackensie Murphy |
| Abstract Runway: Saturday PM | |
|---|---|
| Milena Kon and Leslie Burgreen Waldrep | |
| Best In Show: Saturday PM | |
|---|---|
| Kazuaki Jingu and Victor Rosado | |
| Rescue Round-Up Invitational: Sunday AM | |
|---|---|
| Teri DiMarino and Jayne Gallagher | |
| Creative Styling: Sunday PM | |
|---|---|
| Misty Gieczys and Leslie Burgreen Waldrep | |
| Contest Coordinator | |
|---|---|
| Jill Pipino | |
Adriane Pope
Adriane Pope is an award-winning Pet stylist in Breed Profile and Creative Grooming. Her specialty is extreme creative styling and creative abstract design. Adriane is owner/groomer of Adriane's Groom and Go Mobile Grooming in Conway, SC., and also the owner of Rivertown Bed and Biscuit Luxury Kennel since 2004. She has 24 years of grooming experience, and has been mobile for 22 years. She started competing in breed profile in 1997 and started the creative world in 2004.
Blake Hernandez
Blake Hernandez is a NCMG and three-time Barkleigh Honors recipient. He is best known for his online persona and caterwauling lyrics that speak to our industry. Blake has brought innovation and current outside trends to the grooming industry from Personality Marketing to the FoxEye, a phone holding device for the everyday groomer or aspiring influencer. Blake runs Foxy Roxy's Pet Salon in San Diego, CA, in addition to competing in grooming contests and dog shows all over the country. He is the co-creator and founder of GroomSource, an app made for groomers' continued education, as well as creator and producer of many products with Foxy Roxy's Supply Co. Blake was also a feature groomer in Netflix's "DOGS" documentary and a contestant on ABC's Pooch Perfect Season 1.
Colin Taylor
Colin Taylor, author of ‘What Would Colin Do? 101 Situations and Solutions for Every Dog Groomer’ and founder of the Colin Taylor Academy is an international multi-award-winning groomer, who has been in the industry for 30 years. After more than 20 years of grooming in the US, Colin has returned to the UK to continue his career. His aim is to bring the same level of excitement and energy to the dog grooming industry worldwide. Colin is also an international judge and speaker and runs and manages Master Groom Dog Grooming Contest.
Guzal Adekoje
Guzal Adekoje is an AKC Certified and National Certified Master Groomer with years of experience, and also an internationally recognized multi-award-winning groomer and speaker. She is the owner of a mobile pet grooming company and upscale grooming salon in Northern Virginia. Originally from Uzbekistan, she found her destiny in the United States in 2003, when she moved with just one suitcase and $200 in her pocket and built herself up to become a well-known business owner, groomer and speaker in the USA. Recently, in Barcelona, Spain, she took silver in a class competing against groomers from Korea, China, Spain, UK, France and other countries. As a well-rounded groomer, she has earned multiple awards in poodle, all other pure breeds, sporting, handstripping and freestyle classes.
Jay Scruggs
Jay and his wife, Michelle, own Here Comes the Groom, a highly successful mobile grooming salon in Germantown, Tennessee. Jay has won multiple Best in Show and Best All-Around Groomer awards and helped GroomTeam USA win the Gold medal in Calgary, Canada, in 2001. Jay was named American Groomer of the Year in 2001, Groomer of the Year Award at Westminster Dog Show in 2002, and Grooming Judge of the Year in 2004. In 2003 Jay won an International Gold and Bronze medal in Barcelona, Spain, helping GroomTeam USA win the silver team medal. Along with Sue Zecco, he teaches seminars and offers a video series under the "Super Styling Sessions" title.
Jayne Gallagher
Who would have thought that someone who grew up in a "No Pets Allowed" household would end up spearheading some of the most iconic grooms in the country? Jayne graduated from the Jersey Shore Grooming Academy in the year 2000, took courses from the prestigious Nash Academy, and took private lessons from top pet stylists and GroomTeam members from around the globe. She marks herself as a perpetual student, always excited to stay sharp in her craft. She is an award-winning legend who is known far and wide in the grooming community, even being featured as a competitor in the 2021 cultural phenomenon Pooch Perfect on ABC Network. Jayne specializes in creative styling, salon freestyle, Asian fusion, poodles, and bichons.
Jill Pipino
Jill Pipino started grooming in 2000. She bought a turnkey operation, turning it into a successful business offering her clients everything from daycare to spa services and personality trims to show styles. She began regularly attending seminars and trade shows at the beginning of her career, and started competing in 2007. She has been a regular in the competition circuit ever since. In an effort to further her understanding of pet styling, she has trained privately with top stylists and breeders. She also works with breeders and handlers at dog shows and is looking forward to showing her field spaniel, Brucie.
Joey Villani
In 1998, Joey purchased the Nash Academy in New Jersey which he owned and operated until 2008. Now a well-known pet industry speaker and judge, Joey has been nominated 14 times for the Cardinal Crystal and Barkleigh Honors awards. He has been enthusiastically involved with Intergroom International for 33 years and has been instrumental in expanding the organization's reach into Belgium, Italy, and France. Joey is one of the original members of the International Judges Association and has made many television appearances. Today, Joey continues to innovate and explore new dimensions in the pet care and grooming industry. In early 2009, Joey became part of the Animal Radio on-air staff where he is known as "The Dogfather".
Jonathan David
Jonathan David has been the recipient of multiple scissoring awards, multiple Best All Around Groomer awards and Best in Show earning him a position on GroomTeam USA in 2008 and 2009. Jonathan was also a contestant on Animal Planet's "Groomer Has It" and has been featured as a grooming expert on multiple television shows. Currently, Jonathan owns and operates his salon, Lap of Luxury Dog Spa in Delray Beach, Florida and is a board member of multiple dog clubs.
Kazuaki Jingu
Kazuaki Jingu is a renowned Japanese master dog groomer known for his artistic skill, particularly with Poodles and Schnauzers, winning numerous international awards and teaching his techniques worldwide. He is recognized for his technical precision, is a member of Team Utsumi, and has judged prestigious international grooming competitions.
Leslie Burgreen Waldrep
Leslie Burgreen Waldrep is an international award-winning abstract design and extreme creative groomer. She has been professionally grooming for 19 years and is the owner of LesMare Pet Spa in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Leslie has accumulated multiple wins, placements and awards in both Abstract design and Creative Grooming, including the coveted Jerry Schinberg Award in 2023 for her Creative Grooming career, and nominations for Creative Groomer of the year by Barkleigh Honors every year since starting competing in 2016. Leslie and her dog Secret were in VOGUE with their 2021 Cinderella Creative design win and her work has also been published in Fashion Pet by Opawz. Leslie is truly passionate about the art of creative grooming and abstract design.
Mackensie Murphy
Mackensie Murphy is a second-generation pet stylist, following in her mother's footsteps and becoming the very first second generation GroomTeam USA. In 2005, Mackensie started her own grooming career at the young age of 18. Mackensie began her competition career in early 2011 and has been awarded multiple Best in Show awards, Best All Around Groomer awards and is a five-time winner of the prestigious Liz Paul Memorial Best Scissored Poodle Award. Mackensie consistently stayed among the top three competitors and earned herself a position on GroomTeam USA in 2012 which she has sustained up to this current year.
Madeline Rothwell
Madeline is a passionate groomer who's been pampering pets since she was 16 years old. She loves competing in grooming competitions and dog shows, and at 21, she opened her own thriving salon. Dedicated to education and continuous growth, Madeline is eager to share her expertise. She believes in lifelong learning within the ever-evolving world of dog grooming.
Marta Antil
Marta Antil is the co-owner of an elite grooming salon in Brooklyn, New York City, renowned for serving celebrity clientele and discerning, high-profile clients. A multiple grooming competition winner and Grooming Team member(2019), she is celebrated for her artistry, precision, and refined standards. Guided by ambition and excellence, Marta continues to elevate the grooming industry while pursuing her distinguished goal of becoming an grooming competition judge.
Milena Kon
Milena started off in graphic design and direct sales before realizing that she wanted to do more with animals. So, she went into grooming in 2013. She is now the owner of Driving Me Knots (Mobile Grooming), DMK Bowtique (Pet Accessories), and DMK Marketing Solutions (Custom Graphic Designs). She started competing in Extreme Creative Styling & Creative Abstract grooming contests in 2015, and won Up-and-Coming Creative Groomer that same year. Her creative work has also been seen on "The Greatest Showman" with Hugh Jackman and "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix. She was awarded the Barkleigh Honors Creative Groomer of the Year in 2018.
Misty Gieczys
Misty is an IGA Certified Master Groomer and has won many Best in Shows, Best All Around Groomer. She was on the US Gold Winning Model Dog Team in Taiwan and took BIS Creative. She won the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Award for her Charity "Groomers for Groomers." Nominated for Creative Groomer Barkleigh Honors and awarded IJA Creative Groomer. Misty started grooming in 2005 and helped open 3 other salons. She owns 2 upscale salons in Columbus Ohio with a staff of 15; Designer Paws Salon. 1st opened in 2013 and second in 2018 with receiving multiple service awards.
Olga Zabelinskaya
Olga is a Certified Master Groomer and owns two grooming salons, Elite Pet Spa & Boutique in Madison, NJ and Grooming Gallery in Morris Plains, NJ. She has multiple BIS and Best All-Around Groomer wins as well as two prestigious Winners Circle Champion titles. Olga is 2009 and 2010 American Groomer of the Year by Cardinal Pet, and was awarded the Lynne Carver Memorial Award as Best All Around Stylist 2009. Olga was born in Russia where she had a Master Degree in Engineering and finished law school. Olga was a GroomTeam USA member 2008-2012 and won the Silver medal in Belgium, 2011 as a part of the traveling team. Olga co-hosts many pet fundraising events.
Shannon Tupes
Shannon Tupes is a Certified Master Groomer with National Dog Groomers Association. She has been involved in the pet industry for 28 years and has owned several successful grooming salons throughout the US. She is a member of GroomTeam USA, a current Board member of GroomTeam USA, and a national and international judge and speaker. She is also a Global Educator for Andis and a Brand Ambassador for Superior Care Pet. Shannon is a successful breeder, owner, handler of Bichons under the kennel prefix Releve, has bred over 25 champions, and is an active member of the Bichon Frise Club of America. Shannon is also a club-approved mentor for judges.
Sue Zecco
Sue is a 2011 Barkleigh Honors Award winner. She is a Certified Master Groomer with both the National Dog Groomers Association (NDGAA) and the International Professional Groomers (IPG). She has been grooming for over 30 years. She has won multiple grooming awards, including her biggest show accomplishments: 1998 International Groomer of the Year and 1999 Oster Invitational Tournaments Grand Champion. Sue has been a member of GroomTeam USA since 1997 and broke all records in 1999, earning 113 points. She is also a Wahl Clipper Corporation spokesperson. With Jay Scruggs, she conducts a series of full-day seminars called Super Styling Sessions. Sue breeds Standard Poodles under the "Dreamcatcher" prefix.
Teri DiMarino
An industry veteran, Teri has owned and operated successful salons and mobiles in Florida and California. A winning grooming contest competitor, Teri was a member of three GroomTeam USA Gold Medal teams. A multiple Barkleigh Honors and Cardinal Crystal Award winner, Teri was a regular columnist for Groomer to Groomer Magazine as well as a popular speaker and judge at seminars and trade shows across the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.