Drake University crowns 2023 Beautiful Bulldog Champion

A hundreds-strong crowd poured into the Knapp Center's folding seats on the Drake University campus.

They wore blue paper crowns, carried overflowing buckets of popcorn, and caught rolled up T-shirts thrown by members of the Drake softball team.

The pool of people — who ranged from college students leaving 4 p.m. class to older longtime locals — weren’t seated in the rafters to catch the dribbles of a Drake hoops game. They sought, and sniffed, something bigger: the university’s 44th Beautiful Bulldog Contest. The school's live mascot Griff made a guest appearance.

Twenty-nine pups — led by a belly rub-loving bulldog named Daisy, and Winkles, a one-eyed rescue in a green tutu — trotted across a platform bridge to cheers, claps and calls.

Local celebrity Steve Berry, a Drake class of 1983 alum, hosted the contest and has emceed the event for around a decade.

“Once you’re a beautiful bulldog winner, you’re always a beautiful bulldog winner,” Berry said during last year’s winning pup Bam Bam’s final bow.

The spirit award? Bella. Best dressed? Bentley Meatball. Rescue dog recognition award? Jojo. The Porterhouse People’s Choice Award went to Winkles. Then, the ultimate prize arrived.

The lights dimmed, a promo video of past bulldog contests played, and finalists were named.

Bentley Meatball of Urbandale. West Des Moines’ own Bella. Patch from Johnston.

“Let’s hear it for the 2023 Drake’s most beautiful bulldog: Patch,” Berry said.

More: Lickers, sniffers, attention seekers: Myrtle Mae wins Drake's Beautiful Bulldog Contest

Patch’s owners Jennifer Hinton and Joel Kornder walked her across the stage on a leash. Hinton works at the university in admissions. In a crown and cape, Patch took her place on a blue-and-gold thrown as a bouquet laid on the floor beside her.

“We just love Drake and all the Bulldogs and so we're super glad that our dog can be the face of this year's relays,” Hinton, 27, said in a post-win interview.

“It was kind of destiny really because we got Patch and then she got a job at Drake and then it just kind of snowballed from there,” Kornder, 29, added.

The paper crowns came off. Kernels fell to the floor. T-shirts were toted away.

Life, and one bulldog, was most beautiful.

Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram or reach out at jstahl@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Drake Relays crowns 2023 Beautiful Bulldog Champion