Riggs hardly looks or acts like a beauty king. A 3-year-old male
bulldog, Riggs is a drooler
with protruding teeth and a penchant for attacking noisy appliances,
begging for crumbs and hopping on furniture.
Fortunately for the
canine from Prairie City, Iowa, those traits endeared him to judges Monday
in the "Beautiful Bulldog" contest, an annual event held to draw attention
to the 98th running of the Drake Relays. The relays, one of the nation's
oldest and most prestigious track and field events, will attract nearly
8,000 athletes.
Riggs beat out a 50-dog field to take the crown. Contest organizers
acknowledge the event is more about a winning personality than beauty.
"The last thing you're going to get with a bulldog
is beauty," said master of
ceremonies
Dolph Pulliam. "But bulldogs have character. They
have a certain look...they're the kind of dog you look at and you get
scared. But you know what? These are the friendliest darn bulldogs in the
world."
Many thought Riggs' chief competition would be Hank, the offspring of
the last two contest winners. Last year's winner, Hannah, gave Riggs a
snarl, but he kept his cool, plodding down the runway both gracefully and
glacially.
The brown and white dog was dressed in a form-fitting costume in
Drake's blue and white colors.
"He's the most beautiful bulldog (with) his attitude and his demeanor."
said his owner, Cordell Miller. "He's very excited."
Riggs celebrated by posing for photographers and munching on a doggy bone, leaving crumbs and
drool on his throne.
