The 49 contestants crowded around the stage while the judges made quick verdicts. Looks? Check. Personality? Check. Energy? Double check.

When a triumphant Hannah stepped forward, the crowd erupted in applause. But this was no ordinary beauty pageant: Hannah took top honors at this weeks 27th annual Most Beautiful Bulldog contest at Drake University, and will preside over the upcoming Drake Relays, one of the nations oldest and most prestigious track and field meets. The 2-year-old English Bulldog will also serve a yearlong term as the schools official mascot.

No one was more surprised by Hannahs victory than her owner, Curtis Jackson of Des Moines, Iowa. She's a typical girl, he says. She loves shoes. She loves going shoe shopping right in moms closet.

And despite Hannahs initial reluctance to sit on the throne during her crowning ceremony, Jackson believes she'll embrace all her royal duties. She's a pretty outgoing dog.

Posted: April 28, 2006, 5 a.m. EST