The Beautiful Bulldog Contest®

Judges proudly announced the winner of the 47th Annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest^® at the Knapp Center on Drake University’s campus on Sunday. Seven-year-old Flora was crowned the champion and will serve a week-long reign as the official mascot for the 2026 Drake Relays.

Flora, hailing from Iowa Falls, Iowa, stole the show during her strut down the “pup-way.” Accompanied by owners Nicole Gleason and Augie Wachter, the charismatic bulldog charmed the judges in her blue dress embellished with a glittery Drake “D” and white flowers. A puppy-mill survivor, Flora is happiest when soaking up attention from her loving humans.

The 47th Annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest^® carried special significance as it was the final contest overseen by Griff II, Drake University’s beloved live mascot, who will retire in May. While Flora reigns for one week over the Drake Relays, Griff II’s successor, Griff III, will take over full-time duties as the University’s live mascot next month.

Judges proudly announced the winner of the 46th Annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest® at the Knapp Center on Drake University’s campus. They crowned Milo as the winner of the 2025 contest and the official mascot for the prestigious Drake Relays.

Milo—a seven-year-old bulldog from North Liberty, Iowa—delighted the judges and crowd when he graced the stage dressed as a Drake Bulldog soccer player, shin guards and all. Milo’s owners are Kayla Armstrong and Cole Henry. Armstrong, a Drake alumnus, played soccer at Drake from 2013–2017.

Armstrong and Henry said Milo’s favorite things are treats and playing with his brother, Fischer. Henry also said Milo enjoys watching TV, especially Animal Planet and Jimmy Dean breakfast commercials.

The contest—which helps kick off Drake Relays week— drew nearly 30 English bulldog contestants from Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. Milo will now serve a year-long reign as the Drake Relays mascot and the Most Beautiful Bulldog.

Pumpkin—a 3-year-old bulldog from Oakland, IA—delighted the judges and crowd when she graced the stage dressed as royalty. By the end of the pageant, she was officially crowned Most Beautiful Bulldog.

Pumpkin’s owner, Shawna Anderson, says Pumpkin was the inspiration for her to begin rescuing and fostering other bulldogs through the Good Life Bulldog Rescue. Pumpkin serves as an ambassador to the bulldog community, traveling to events and working alongside her owner to educate about the bulldog breed and encourage other families to adopt.

“We are super excited, because we’ve always known she’s beautiful,” said Anderson. “She is an amazing foster sister to all of the foster bulldogs that come through our home. She is great at teaching new fosters how to just be a dog and accept love.”

Bulldog lovers can follow Pumpkin on TikTok: @Punkiibruiser

The 2-year-old winning bulldog delighted the judges when she strutted down the runway in her custom jean jacket featuring a Drake University patch sewn into the fabric. A rescue dog that found her forever-home when she was 7-months old, Patch was one of nine rescued dogs competing for the top spot.

Patch lives in Johnston, Iowa with her owners Jennifer Hinton and Joel Kornder. In addition to owning an English bulldog, Hinton has a special connection to Drake where she serves as Assistant Director of Transfer Admission.

“I heard about the contest when I moved to Des Moines this past summer, and I knew I had to enter Patch,” said Hinton. “She is the epitome of the bulldog breed, and we’re so proud of her all the time but especially today. We’re grateful for all the support we’ve received and this opportunity to show everyone how special Patch is.”

The crowd went wild when Patch jumped… well really, walked… through a literal hoop to earn her crown as The Most Beautiful Bulldog — a trick Hinton said they worked on for months prior to the competition.