The show must go on! In light of the coronavirus pandemic and in respect to public health concerns, the 2020 Beautiful Bulldog Contest® at Drake University will move to a first-ever virtual voting format in its 41-year history.
Public voting will take place online in a bracket format and begin today, culminating on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, which is National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day.
Voting is now open at www.drake.edu/beautifulbulldog.
We are also proud to announce Sammons Financial as the sponsor for both the 2020 and 2021 contests.
“The word ‘unprecedented’ may seem to be overused lately, but it certainly sums up what our community is experiencing right now,” said Rob TeKolste of Sammons Financial. “It’s precisely why maintaining community traditions like Drake’s Beautiful Bulldog contest is so important. We are pleased to be a part of the event, and reimagining it through a virtual format.”
Typically, several celebrity judges evaluate the contestants and determine a winner. This year, fans of the contest will get to choose the Most Beautiful Bulldog winner.
The online voting process will be as followed:
- The public will narrow down nearly 200 registered bulldogs through an online voting process to help contest officials populate a bracket made of the top 32 contestants.
- The bulldogs will then enter head-to-head voting rounds on social media to eventually come to four finalists, which will be known as the “Fancy Four.”
- After the Fancy Four are selected, the finalists will submit videos, photos, and more in-depth biography information before the public vote to choose the 2020 Most Beautiful Bulldog.
Beau the bulldog won the 2019 contest and has been enjoying his reign as the Drake Relays mascot. This year’s winner will serve as the Drake Relays Mascot until the 2021 contest.
For this year, the additional awards will not be part of the voting process. We will only be choosing the Most Beautiful Bulldog and the two runners up. The contest is expected to return to its traditional festival and pageant format complete with a rescue festival, a family fun zone, and merchandise, in 2021.
Learn more and vote at www.drake.edu/beautifulbulldog
