All American Grooming: About Us

HISTORY

The All American Grooming Show is the longest-running grooming show in the world. It was founded in the early 1970s by Jerry Schinberg. Jerry had been a groomer for fifteen years, the last seven of those in his own shop, A. Tondeur (which is French for groomer), in Niles, Illinois. He had experience in showing dogs, both conformation and obedience. He also bred miniature poodles, and was very active in Wheaton Kennel Club and Northwest Obedience Club, both in suburban Chicago. Various show and committee chairmanships (trophies, food and publicity to name a few), along with his grooming background, laid the groundwork for producing a grooming show. Before opening his own grooming shop, Jerry was also involved in a semiprofessional theater group, both onstage and behind the scenes. That might explain his tendency to be a ham on the microphone and his penchant for theatrics in staging grooming shows. One of Jerry's early "tricks" for promoting local events was to call Wally Phillips, a well-known Chicago radio talk show host, and, on the air, request information about the event. He would then call back and, using another voice, offer information about the event to the previous caller, and of course to anyone else who happened to be listening...

So Jerry had the background and the skills, but what was his inspiration and motivation to start down the grooming show road? Someone else had tried to do this a couple of times, but it had not been successful. So what made Jerry want to do this? First of all, there was a niche in the grooming industry that needed filling. Back then, most groomers learned by apprenticing (there were very few schools) and with assistance from "how to" books on grooming (even fewer of those). Once ensconced in their own shops, groomers were isolated from other groomers and from any career enrichment opportunities. Even trade publications and product distributors were geared to the pet industry as a whole, with little focus on grooming, as it was such a small part of the industry. Jerry looked at the beauty shop industry, in particular at the competitions they have at shows which include demonstrations and product information. The talent and creative energy of these contests truly inspired him. Wouldn't this be a great way for groomers to "strut their stuff" and learn from other groomers? Bring in experts to do demonstrations and give talks on different breeds and grooming skills. Have manufacturers and distributors there to show their grooming products and make them available. Jerry was ready!

Organizationally, Jerry decided against forming an association . Having worked with several clubs, he had learned that the fewer people involved in decision making, the more efficient the process. But he did need some help, so he teamed up with a friend who had run obedience trials with him. They formed J & G Associates, Inc., and started planning the first "Midwest Professional Dog Grooming Contest and Seminar," which was held all in one day on August 26, 1973. Although it took 10 years for Jerry to decide that the name of the show was too long, it only took the first show for him to realize that holding it all in one day was clearly short-sighted.

That first show was to be held in a local high school field house. One month before the show, the school district advised that the floor was being resurfaced, and the show would have to be moved to a different field house. Aside from the problem of notification (which required additional mailings plus signs at the original site to redirect people), the new site, though comparable in size, was NOT AIR CONDITIONED! Naturally, it turned out to be the hottest day of the year with temperatures reaching 102 degrees. And as proud as Chicagoans are of Lake Michigan, they'll be the first to tell you the humidity it produces is oppressive. At the show, the food concession was provided by Jerry's parents; needless to say, little coffee was sold. To quench thirsts, Jerry's wife, Sally, made soda runs to a gas station across the street--case after case after case. Shirlee Kalstone was a guest speaker; Jerry assisted by holding the mike and mopping Shirlee's brow. One young lady tried to keep her cool while competing by spraying "Kool Lube" on her bare midriff; maybe the hair that stuck to her from her standard poodle provided insulation! To top things off, the show was not over till 7pm!

EVOLUTION

Although that first show was a challenge in many ways, it attracted 50 entries and 300 spectators. The attendees gave Jerry a lot of "heat" for the conditions that day, but they also made it clear they wanted more. So plans went ahead for a show the following year. This time it would be held for two days with all promotional literature assuring that the site would be "air conditioned."

Growth of the All American Grooming Show has roughly paralleled growth in the grooming industry itself. The show started about the same time grooming became recognized as an industry and groomers first began to seek recognition. A columnist for the Chicago Sun Times newspaper captured this idea in an article about the 1974 show. The column said "Dog grooming has become big business. Long gone are the days when Bowzer got a couple of baths a year. If he was brushed in between, it was usually because he was full of burrs. Now dogs with long coats have standing appointments for regular grooming, and the best groomers have waiting lists!" This growth in the grooming industry, grooming shows and competitions, has also meant increased support from manufacturers, which provides additional incentives for groomers to participate.

Along with growth comes change, and the All American Grooming Show is no exception. The first show was not only held in one day, it had only one division. Although it went to two days in 1974, two divisions were not offered until 1979, at which time the show went to three days.

Almost twenty years later, we saw the introduction of three divisions, commonly referred to as a three-tiered structure. Besides changes in duration and structure, there have been many changes in the number of classes and their descriptions, the rules, and the judging. This is an ongoing process, always trying to refine and improve and offer new ideas.

One of the early classes that was abandoned after several years was the "Winners' Competitive Class." The winner of each of the five regular classes was given the opportunity to compete against the other winners for additional prizes by grooming another dog of the same breed as just completed, but this one provided by Show Management and never before seen by the contestant. Although the concept was good, it was very difficult to provide dogs of comparable quality in each breed and impossible to control the condition of the dog. It was clearly not a fair competition, so it was dropped.

JUDGING

Several judging systems have also been used over the years. Team judging (two people) soon became team judging with a referee (needed to resolve conflicts). In an effort to be more precise, a point system was instituted, i.e., so much for clipping, so much for scissoring, so much for degree of difficulty, for the feet, the head, profile, etc. But the dog with the most points wasn't always the one the judge thought was best, so points would get changed to make the "right" dog the winner. Then there was an attempt to provide additional objectivity by removing the groomer from the judging situation and have a different person handle the dog. This was stressful for the dog, labor intensive, and didn't always present the dog at its best. Jerry has also tried different systems as a judge at other shows. Many years' experience, both as a show manager and as a judge, has convinced him that the single judge system is the most viable. There are ongoing efforts to establish training programs and continuing education for all judges, a pursuit Jerry actively supports.

CREATIVE STYLING

Given Jerry's creative nature, it should come as no surprise that the seed of Creative Styling had been sown in his head early on. It germinated in his brain and was nourished by that goofy gray matter (Jerry's a "wild and crazy guy") until 1980, when he found a worthy sponsor willing to support his brainchild. For five years, Andis Co. offered a new Andis clipper and five blades for each of the competitors in the class, plus $1500 in prize money. Jerry was expecting some really exciting and creative trims that first year but was disappointed in the results. He shared these feelings with the first winner, Lynnette Wallace Jacobsen, which made her a little angry but also challenged her. At the next show, which Jerry co-sponsored with Margaret Migliorini in Atlanta, GA, in May, 1981, Lynnette was back with a vengeance. She executed a beautifully scissored, balanced and symmetrical spiral trim that went from the back of her poodle's head, several times around the body, and ended at the base of its tail. It looked like a corkscrew. It wasn't until several years later that Lynnette confided to Jerry that the real name of her "spiral" trim was "Screw You, Jerry Schinberg!"

Creative styling has continued uninterrupted for 20 years with various sponsors. During that time, the contestants' interpretation of "Creative Styling" has evolved from original trims to color, accessories, scenery, costumes, and audio accompaniments. At one point, the displays were getting so large and elaborate that the rules had to be amended to limit the amount of floor space allotted to each contestant's completed work. Like many things in life, Creative Styling seems to be coming full circle now and getting back to its original concept.

THE FLOOD

The 1987 Flood

One of the most memorable shows was in 1987, the year Chicagoans remember as the year of the flood. The show was to start on Saturday with set-up on Friday. The deluge started on Thursday and continued until early Friday morning causing flooding everywhere indoors and out. Jerry was near panic. People were stranded at O'Hare airport and nearby hotels. The National Guard evacuated the hotel one half block away and closed the road in front of the hosting hotel, which was able to remain open only because it had its own power plant. The hotel staff was unable to leave and assumed the show would have to be canceled. Boy, did they underestimate dog people!! Adjacent to the hotel was the Horizon Stadium, which was on higher ground. Its parking lot was accessible via its side entrance. So people arriving Friday parked there and waded, swam, or paddled small craft across the hotel's parking lot to its entrance. The show started a little late on Saturday (the water had receded), but there was a world record entry that year with not one "no-show"! One of the vendors could not get her product in, but everyone else was there. The basement of the hotel was flooded, so the party was moved to the bar on the main floor (no one else was going to use it). The hotel staff couldn't leave, nor could they be relieved by incoming help, so they worked and slept in alternating shifts to take care of the Grooming Show people. Menus had to be adjusted to accommodate missed deliveries. And so it went. It turned out to be a good show and the camaraderie was great, but rest assured Jerry wouldn't want to go through that again!

SUMMING UP

There have been many modifications over the years, but some things remain the same. First is location, location, location. Although the actual show site has been changed several times, the All American Grooming Show has always been held in close proximity to O'Hare International Airport and to several major expressways. Location has certainly contributed to the show's longevity. An easily accessible site encourages attendance by vendors, contestants, and spectators alike.

Another thread running through All American's history is "fun". Most shows provide product exposure for vendors and educational opportunities for participants. But Jerry believes in balancing work and play, usually planning a theme party one night and occasional surprise entertainment throughout the weekend. Jerry always hopes groomers will come away from his show feeling not only that it was worthwhile, but that they had a good time.