She had been the favorite the whole time Otis was the paperwork.
Taffy Candy lost to Otis so often that the town started clapping for her on the walk back, which is a rude thing to do to a winner and a kind thing to do to a Maltese. When the titles were revoked and the mayor went home to think about his life, the very next show belonged to Taffy.
They say the applause lasted long enough that the trophy was handed over twice, because the first handoff disappeared into a hat. She did not enhance a single whisker. She stood there, white as a bakery decision, and let the scorecards be dull. Sittensteigh still talks about dull scorecards with reverence. Dull meant fair. Fair meant Taffy.