Drake University hosted its 47th Annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest on April 19. At the contest, a champion was crowned as the Most Beautiful Bulldog and named the 2026 Drake Relays mascot.
This year’s winner was Flora, who sported a sparkling gown featuring the Drake ‘D.’ A puppy mill survivor from Iowa Falls, she was accompanied by her entire family, who held signs in support of her “Cinderella story.”
“She was the one that would give birth to [the puppies]. When we got her, they found her stomach stitched up with fishing line,” said Ava Hess, one of Flora’s human siblings.
When Flora’s family first adopted her, she had never seen grass, the announcer shared as she strutted across the stage. Now, she enjoys treats, watermelon and endless attention from her family.
She defeated 22 other bulldogs at the contest, all of whom were selected by lottery from 117 entries. As the official Relays mascot, Flora will attend events and return to the Beautiful Bulldog contest next year to help crown her successor.
“I really liked Flora, so to see her win was amazing,” Jadyn Burch, a first-time attendee of the Beautiful Bulldog contest, said.
Burch voted for Chunk for the Porthouse People’s Choice Award. Chunk, who is named after the “Goonies” character, won the award. Chunk is beloved by his neighborhood, where he is known for taking walks that are “short in distance but long in duration, as he stops to greet everyone he can,” the announcer read during Chunk’s stage time.
Multiple local rescuers and organizations attended the event as well, tabling before the contest. One of these organizations was Good Life Bulldog Rescue, a foster-based rescue out of Omaha.
The winner of the 45th Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Pumpkin, was from the rescue. Founded in 2017, the rescue brought pictures to advertise their four adoptable bulldogs. One of them, Molly, found a forever home at the event.
Moments like that underscored the broader purpose of the contest, something not lost on the judges.
“Aren’t they all beautiful?” says Melissa Porter, one of the judges at the contest, along with her husband, Gary Porter.
The Porters support the rescue fair at the contest and have long supported Drake and the Des Moines community. As Bulldogs of over 50 years, they enjoyed their time judging the contest.
“We’re Bulldogs through and through,” Porter says.
The Porters reflect the spirit of the contest- a celebration of the Drake community. From students and alumni to rescue organizations and families, the event brings together a wide cross-section of Drake and Des Moines, all centered around the dogs that define the tradition.
