While Sarah and Malice were spending most of their after-school-before-dinner hours preparing for the Miss Year of the Dog competition, there was actually a lot more going on. Because of the popularity of the Year of the Rooster festivities in January, there were going to be a lot more going on besides the competition.
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The Miss Year of the Dog competition was a lot more complex than other beauty pageants, mainly because of the sheer number of dog Animalians taking part. The "Best of Breed" showdown involved completing an obstacle course not only quickly, but accurately. One such part of the challenge involved weaving in and out of a series of poles without missing any of them. Other parts included hurdles seen at high school track and field meets.
After the Best of Breed Showdown, the Pageant Proper would commence. It not only involved showcasing beauty, but also the features that makes each breed unique. Sarah and Malice, for example, had to complete a 100-yard dash while pulling sleds loaded with weights up to 100 pounds. Princess and Tiffany, on the other hand, had to swim to a duck hunting dummy that had been launched by an air cannon into a large lake, then get it back in the shortest time possible. The finals would involve "traditional" beauty pageant aspects, which would help contribute to the final score, with the highest score winning the title of "Miss Year of the Dog".
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There was also a Mr. Year of the Dog competition, due partially to the success of the IAC Bodybuilding Competition. While it was not quite the same as the IAC, it was still somewhat similar. It involved both a Bodybuilding pose down, a Martial arts "Dog Fight", the "Strength of Breed" Showdown that was in the Miss Year of the Dog Competition, and a traditional dog show. While Sarah and Malice were a little disappointed that their bondmates wouldn't be taking place, they were still ready to support Dallas and Luke.
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There were also the same things that made the Year of the Rooster Festival enjoyable at the start of the current/previous year. Because of all this, it was turning out to be quite exciting.
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Sarah and Malice made their way home after their latest class. When they had reunited with some of their old friends/rivals (in Malice's case), the physical "games" turned out to be more demanding than they had anticipated.
"Whew!" Said Sarah, panting somewhat, "Who thought that huskies in Alaska had to haul a few hundred pounds of survival gear, plus the driver, over hundreds of miles regularly before the invention of winter cars and trucks!" she said, remembering the analogy their trainer used.
"This is tougher than I thought..." was all that Malice said about what they had just went through.