Teen amazed by 'surreal' dog grooming Crufts win

A teenager says it feels "unreal" to have been crowned a Crufts champion less than a year after becoming a dog groomer.

Mia Blackburn, from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, took first place in one of the categories of the grooming competition on Sunday - the first time a grooming event has been held at the world's largest dog show.

"It's a surreal feeling," the 18-year-old said. "I only qualified in June last year so it's not been a very long journey for me."

"To be up against so many talented groomers and to come first is just amazing."

Blackburn was competing with cockapoo Scrabby in the Workshop Asian Fusion Beginners category, after meeting him at the K9 Leisure Club, the dog daycare centre where she works as a groomer.

"He's amazing, he's the best ring dog I could have ever asked for," she said. "He's the most well-behaved dog ever. He loves grooming as well."

Dogs have been Blackburn's passion ever since she got her own puppy aged 11, a Jack Russell chihuahua called Bailey.

She started studying animal care at Halesowen College before switching to grooming and realising she enjoyed the creativity.

"It's just what you can do with scissors and what you can do with a dog's coat," she explained. "I'm obsessed with it. It's just so amazing what you can do with them."

Blackburn was judged primarily on how she handled Scrabby and her grooming technique.

"They're looking at what I'm doing, what kind of style I'm trying to create and if it actually suits the dog and suits its personality," she said.

Crufts was the second grooming competition Blackburn had entered and won.

She also took first place in a Kennel Club grooming competition in Coventry in January - but she said being on the famous green carpet was something she had dreamed about since childhood.

Scrabby, of course, got a few extra treats afterwards.

"He got all the attention he deserved," she said. "He was a really good boy."

Halesowen College sent its congratulations to Blackburn, describing her victory as "an amazing achievement and a true reflection of Mia's hard work, dedication and passion for professional dog grooming".

Blackburn said her ultimate aim was to own her own grooming salon - but in the shorter term, she was already hoping to compete at Crufts again next year.

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