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71-year-old makes beauty pageant history

<p>A 71-year-old woman has made history by becoming the oldest person to ever compete at a prestigious beauty pageant. </p> <p>Marissa Teijo never wanted to give up on her dream of competing in the Miss Texas USA pageant as she got older, and in the 2024 competition, she made her dreams a reality. </p> <p>Teijo says the experience was "incredible", even though she wasn't crowned the winner. </p> <p>The 71-year-old documented her pageant journey on Instagram to inspire others to never give up on their own dreams.</p> <p>Explaining her decision to sign up to the pageant on social media, she says, "I am delighted to be a part of this incredible new experience as a contestant in the Miss Texas USA pageant."</p> <p>"In doing so, I hope to inspire women to strive to be their best physical and mental self and believe there is beauty at any age."</p> <p>Teijo spoke of her initial "misgivings" before entering the pageant, saying, "I began to realise I could do it and inspire older ladies and young ones too that there is beauty at any age if you lead a healthy and active lifestyle. So, that became my goal instead of just striving to win."</p> <p>"Overall, I believe my goal in entering the pageant was achieved, and I can truly say it was an amazing fairytale experience, one that I never ever dreamed I would be experiencing."</p> <p>"I would like to also add that fitness, especially weightlifting, and being strong are the ultimate goals. Looking beautiful is secondary because fitness and healthy living are the best defenses against aging," Teijo added.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Petition launched for Miss Universe Australia to step down

<p>A petition is calling for Australia’s Miss Universe Moraya Wilson to step down, following reports that her parents owe $45 million to creditors. </p> <p>According to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) her parents, Anton and Melinda Wilson, owe $45 million to creditors following multiple company liquidations. </p> <p>They also owe $21 million to the tax office, with Anton Wilson due in court next month for knowingly signing a false declaration and defrauding creditors of a bankrupt, according to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/other-industries/calls-for-miss-universe-australia-to-step-down-amid-reports-her-family-owes-up-to-45m-to-creditors/news-story/092c8e7e789b2749d5853f7b6dccf535" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>news.com.au</em></a>.</p> <p>So where does Moraya come into all of this? </p> <p>It is reported that she is the director of 10 companies that ASIC is looking to have struck off the business register, although she has denied any knowledge of, or involvement in the businesses. </p> <p>Moraya said that she had “tendered my resignation from all of the companies”.</p> <p>However, Anton Wilson's bankrupt trustee Nicholas Crouch, claims that Moraya was listed as the sole director of these 10 companies so that the family business can continue to run despite her parent's bankruptcies. </p> <p>In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into ASIC lodged last year, Crouch wrote: “21-year-old daughter is now nominated as the director of the family construction group.</p> <p>“It would appear the family business has not been disrupted by strategic bankruptcies and liquidations.”</p> <p>It is also alleged that one of the companies Moraya is a director of owes $13,204 to the Australian Taxation Office, which means that it was operating and trading as a business. </p> <p>Her father claims that when Moraya was 19, and already successful in her modelling career, she wanted “to carve a career in property development”, so he offered her “general father-daughter advice”. </p> <p>“I just politely, as a father does to his daughter, said ‘I’ll help you get into business’. Pretty simple,” Anton said. </p> <p>Now, a Change.org petition has been launched by a member of the public, calling for her to step down as Australia’s top model.</p> <p>The petition reads: “Miss Universe is an international competition that empowers women and promotes diverse representations of beauty across the globe. This beauty goes beyond appearance and includes character and personality …”</p> <p>However,  Moraya said that she still intends to compete in the international pageant later this month. </p> <p>“I have become aware of a petition,” she said.</p> <p>“I intend to fulfil my duties as Miss Universe Australia to the best of my ability with the full support of The Miss Universe Australia management.”</p> <p>The organiser of the Miss Australia pageant, Troy Barbagallo also said that the controversy was “none of my business," and remains certain of his choice of Moraya as Australia’s top model.</p> <p>“There is (a) wide range of criteria and a large selection committee who found Moraya to be the best person for the job among 24 exceptional women and we stand by that decision,” he said. </p> <p>The model is set to travel El Salvador later this month for the international pageant. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Furious husband steals the show at a Brazilian beauty pageant

<p dir="ltr">One beauty queen’s husband has caused a commotion at a pageant in Brazil, after the irate man stormed the stage to protest his wife coming second in the competition. </p> <p dir="ltr">Audience members at the Miss Gay Mato Grasso 2023 pageant could not have predicted what was coming when Emannuelly Belini - the contestant representing the municipality of Várzea Grande - was announced winner, and Cuiabá’s Nathally Becker as runner-up. </p> <p dir="ltr">The two embraced, with the crown on the way to Belini’s head, when Becker’s husband chose to storm the stage, bringing an end to the festivities when he snatched the sparkling headpiece only to smash it into the ground. according to local news outlet <em>Globo</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Footage of the incident began to circulate online shortly after, and while Becker’s outraged husband has not yet been publicly identified, thousands are now equipped with the knowledge that second place sparks rage in the man. </p> <p dir="ltr">He gave destroying the crown another go, and even tried to remove his wife from the stage, before the event’s security got involved and he was taken backstage. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PNBusFb7op4" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">The pageant’s coordinator, Malone Haenisch, later released a statement about what had transpired, trying to put reason to his actions, and stressing that the Miss Gay Mato Grosso judges had been fair in their decision to declare Belini as the winner. </p> <p dir="ltr">“He did not consider the result to be fair and caused all this inconvenience and damage,” Haenisch said, according to the <em>New York Post</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We vehemently condemn the incident that occurred at the time of the crowning of the elected Miss when the partner of Miss Cuiabá, who was classified in second place, invaded the stage and aggressively destroyed the crown.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“We confirm the pageant jury’s choice and we sympathise with the elected Miss, as well as [Becker], as she is not responsible for the crazy attitudes of third parties.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Haenisch revealed that the pageant’s legal team had been informed of the events, and that any “necessary legal measures” would be taken, before circling back to the true star of the day - Bellini. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The Miss Mato Grosso Gay pageant team congratulates Miss Várzea Grande, Emannuelly Belini, elected Miss Gay Mato Grosso 2023 on the night of 27 May,” Haenisch said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We reiterate our best wishes and wish you a glamorous reign, and that your activities may reflect the voice and desires of the LGBTQIAP+ community.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TMZ / Youtube</em></p>

Relationships

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Outspoken transgender activist buys Miss Universe pageant for $31 million

<p dir="ltr">A Thai business tycoon, celebrity, and transgender activist has purchased the Miss Universe Organisation for a hefty $31 million, according to an announcement made by her company.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chakrapong ‘Anne’ Chakrajutathib, who has starred in reality shows and spoken out about being a transgender woman, controls JKN Global Group Public Co Ltd, which acquired the rights to the beauty pageant - which is broadcast to 165 countries - from IMG Worldwide LLC, a sports, talent and events marketing company.</p> <p dir="ltr">IMG has held the rights to the Miss Universe pageant since 2015, with former President Donald Trump partially owning it for 19 years until IMG’s purchase.</p> <p dir="ltr">To own the Miss Universe Organisation, JKN said it established a US subsidiary called JKN Metaverse Inc.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement, Ms Chakrapong said the purchase was a “strong, strategic addition to our portfolio”, which includes content distribution, beverages, food supplements, beauty and consumer products.</p> <p dir="ltr">JKN said the addition of the Miss Universe Organisation would see them use the name to promote its consumer products.</p> <p dir="ltr">A profile in the <em>Bangkok Post</em> on Ms Chakrapong, who founded the non-profit group Life Inspired for Transsexual Foundation to promote trans rights, said she was harassed for identifying as female while studying at an all-male school.</p> <p dir="ltr">When she saw financial success, Ms Chakrapong spent $1.5 million on sex reassignment surgery and other procedures, according to the outlet.</p> <p dir="ltr">While Thailand has a positive reputation when it comes to the rights and lifestyles of LGBTQ+ communities, a report from the Human Rights Watch found that transgender people in Thailand had limited access to services and are exposed to daily indignities.</p> <p dir="ltr">The report came to this conclusion due to the an absence of procedure for transgender people to legally change their gender, as well as insufficient legal protections and social stigma that trans people experience.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-4d08e07d-7fff-73ee-8f7e-589981174486"></span></p>

Beauty & Style

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Princess Eugenie’s son makes royal debut

<p dir="ltr">Princess Eugenie's son has finally made his royal debut at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant. </p> <p dir="ltr">Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 70-year reign with Trooping the Colour military parade, a flypast of 70 aircraft, a thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Cathedral and a concert and spectacular light show outside Buckingham Palace.</p> <p dir="ltr">But it was 16-month-old August Brooksbank who stole the show on Sunday in the royal family box as they watched the final procession arrive in front of Buckingham Palace.</p> <p dir="ltr">Princess Eugenie took to Instagram and shared multiple heartwarming photos of her son watching the pageant in her arms as well as husband Jack Brooksbank’s arms. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The Platinum Jubilee Pageant was just incredible. To all the people that took part, organised it, made it flawless for us all watching, THANK YOU. You made us all so proud,” she captioned the photos. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ceb2_3lrV4g/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ceb2_3lrV4g/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Princess Eugenie (@princesseugenie)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">She also shared an adorable video of August waving as Ed Sheeran took to the stage and wowed the crowd. </p> <p dir="ltr">This however was not the first event that August accompanied his family with, as Princess Eugenie earlier shared images of her family watching the RAF fly during Trooping the Colour celebrations. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeT2hf5o5ln/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeT2hf5o5ln/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Princess Eugenie (@princesseugenie)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The Pageant was the first event where he was photographed publicly with all previous photos shared by Princess Eugenie. </p> <p dir="ltr">August is the Queen's ninth great-grandchild, and he is currently 13th in line for the British throne.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty/Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Gracious in defeat: Miss Nigeria’s priceless reaction to losing Miss World

<p>Miss Nigeria may not have won the Miss World 2019 competition, but she did win over the hearts of everyone watching around the world, thanks to the way she handled her defeat.</p> <p>Miss Nigeria, whose name is Nyekachi Douglas, made it to the top three in the global competition alongside Miss Jamaica, known as Toni-Ann Singh, and Miss Brazil, whose name is Elis Coelho.</p> <p>The three women held each other as a show of support, and when Singh was declared the winner, Douglas immediately expressed joy for her friend as she marched around with excitement and a jaw-dropping expression.</p> <p>Douglas spun around, and shouted “Yeah, girl!” at Singh. The three women then embraced as Singh appeared to be in a state of shock.</p> <p>Those watching at home were humbled by what they witnessed, and took to Twitter to commend Miss Nigeria.</p> <p>“Miss Nigeria’s reaction to Miss Jamaica winning #MissWorld2019 is the only energy I’m accepting around me!” wrote one user.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Absolutely amazing in all my years of watching never seen another queen this excited about someone else's win. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissNigeria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissNigeria</a> you are simply the best. <a href="https://t.co/KwqstlFCGf">https://t.co/KwqstlFCGf</a></p> — Tє̲̣̣̣̥mptє̲̣̣̣̥d (@millibrown1) <a href="https://twitter.com/millibrown1/status/1206256623871840262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">15 December 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">May Your friends be excited about your success just like Miss Nigeria 😍 <a href="https://t.co/RQ8LXjBn12">pic.twitter.com/RQ8LXjBn12</a></p> — Herbert Daniel Gomagallah (@HerbertGDaniel) <a href="https://twitter.com/HerbertGDaniel/status/1205987363974983683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">14 December 2019</a></blockquote> <p>“Miss Nigeria Universe and Miss Nigeria World are EXACTLY the friends every woman needs in their corner,” tweeted another.</p> <p>Others called Douglas an “angel” for her “genuine” selfless act.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Inside the world of million-dollar beauty pageants – for camels

<p>When you hear “beauty pageants” you probably think of human women (and men) competing. However, a series of pageants on the Arabian Peninsula celebrate the beauty of the dromedary, or one-humped camel.</p> <p>Interest in camel beauty competitions has grown since the boom of oil production during the 20th century, as camels became associated with status and wealth.</p> <p>These pageants have become massive. In 2017, some 30,000 camels competed in the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=King+Adul+Aziz+Camel+Festival&amp;oq=King+Adul+Aziz+Camel+Festival&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">King Abul Aziz Camel Festival</a> in Saudi Arabia, which has a <a href="https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/en/king-abdulaziz-camel-festival-will-crown-miss-camel-this-month/">prize pool</a> of around AU$45 million. The winners in six categories each get roughly AU$7.5 million, along with the crown of “<a href="https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/en/king-abdulaziz-camel-festival-will-crown-miss-camel-this-month/">Miss Camel</a>”.</p> <p>The lure of these glittering prizes has also led to cheating. Earlier this year 12 camels were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/24/saudi-camel-beauty-contest-judges-get--hump-botox-cheats">disqualified</a> from a camel beauty pageant in Saudi Arabia after receiving Botox injections to improve the look of their lips and noses.</p> <p>So what constitutes a prize-winning camel?</p> <p><strong>Omani camel contests</strong></p> <p>Many breeds of camels compete in pageants across the Arabian Peninsula, so they are all assessed differently. I have worked with the Omani Camel Racing Federation to help develop a new scoring system, which aims to improve transparency and fairness.</p> <p>A requirement of Omani beauty contests is that only pure-bred camels from Oman may participate. Camel owners must testify under oath to the authenticity of their animals’ pedigree, or they are banned from taking part.</p> <p>Local committees of experts assess and rank the camels, which are categorised by age after a teeth examination. They look for:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Coat:</strong>a natural appearance with shiny hair of a clearly definable colour. The brighter the hair, the more beautiful the pageant entrant is considered to be. No hair-colouring, tattooing or other cosmetic modification is allowed.</li> <li><strong>Neck:</strong>must be long, wide, and elegant and lean, neither overly full nor skinny. The area between the neck and the hump should be long and strong.</li> <li><strong>Head:</strong>should be large and upright as well as proportioned to the rest of the body. Lips are pouty and pendulous, with the upper lip being cleft, chin is visible from the front and side, and eyes are wide with long, dark lashes. Ears are long, furrowed and pricked up, and also keep the sand out.</li> <li><strong>Hump:</strong>large and shapely, in the usual position close to the back – a good posture and a large hump may increase a camel’s chance of winning.</li> </ul> <p><strong>How competitions happen</strong></p> <p>Pageant contestants are housed away from the sun and fed milk, wheat, honey and dates before the competition. During the contest itself, a handful of judges appointed by Omani Camel Racing Federation inspect the camels, consult with each other, and rank the animals. The whole scoring process is qualitative, and at no point do the judges write a score or explain the reasoning behind their decisions.</p> <p>The increasing popularity of camel beauty contests has caused some dissatisfaction over the absence of a formal scoring system.</p> <p>While studying the genetics of a range of animals as diverse as crocodiles, platypuses, oryxes, wild pigs and peccaries, I agreed to take on a project to define criteria for competitions, based on the traditional judging system.</p> <p>We began with a simple question: “What features make a camel beautiful from an Omani perspective?” We then developed a numerical scoring card to help judges explain their decisions.</p> <p>We identified 22 body measurements across the head, upper body, front and rear, as well as general appearance and colour. Each of these is scored to give a maximum total of 100 points. The judges we have consulted are happy with the outcome and are looking forward to validating the system in upcoming major contests across Oman.</p> <p>We are also assessing overall genetic patterns of the pageant contestants and their association with beauty traits. We will be extending our genetic studies to camels used for racing, milk and meat in Oman.</p> <p>The scoring and ranking of camels during beauty contests can be a challenging business. We hope giving judges a numerical system will lend support to their decisions and help keep the owners and the general public, and consequently the pageant contestants, happy.</p> <p><em>Written by Jaime Gongora and Mahmood Alamri. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/inside-the-world-of-million-dollar-beauty-pageants-for-camels-98759"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>. </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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First woman with Down syndrome to compete in Miss USA pageant

<p>The world of beauty pageants isn’t exactly known for its inclusiveness and diversity, but the Miss USA Minnesota state pageant has taken a big leap forward, welcoming the first ever contestant with Down syndrome.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FChannel9BatonRouge%2Fvideos%2F10155291333433823%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>Mikayla Holmgren, 22, competed in the event over the weekend and took home the Spirit of Miss USA award and the Director’s Award.</p> <p>“I’m really good at them because it’s my passion,” she told <a href="http://kstp.com/news/minnesota-woman-first-with-down-syndrome-to-compete-in-miss-usa-state-pageant/4682219/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">KSTP News</span></strong></a>. “It’s really fun. As I do more pageants and I’m really proud of myself … this is my dream.”</p> <p>It’s not the first time Holmgren has won big at pageants. In 2015, she was crowned Minnesota Junior Miss Amazing and moved on to the national Junior Miss Amazing in Los Angeles.</p> <p>“Anybody that spends even five minutes with her knows that she is the right person to be the first to represent a community of people that need to see themselves doing something like this,” Miss USA executive director Denise Wallace said.</p>

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The beauty pageant for over-60s

<p>For the incredible ladies of the Ms Senior Arizona pageant, competing is about so much more than a metal tiara. The pageant has spent the last 27 years celebrating friendship, experience and beauty at any age.</p> <p>There are no questions about solutions for world peace or swimsuit competitions.  Although the women may don elegant evening dresses, the focus is not on the glimmer of their gowns, but the sparkle in the personalities. They are required to exhibit one of their talents — whether it’s tap dancing, singing or performing a monologue — and most importantly, sum up their life philosophy.</p> <p>The women must be over 60 to participate, and they’ve had contestants well into their 90s. </p> <p>“So many of them have raised families, had careers, and gone through all kinds of things,” executive director Herme Sherry told The Huffington Post. Sherry, a former pageant winner herself, says. “They are so excited about doing something for themselves now, because they’ve spent their lives doing things for others.” </p> <p>The proceeds from the event ticket sales go to a charity that supports survivors of domestic violence and the winner gets the honour of representing Arizona in the national competition, Ms. Senior America, later this year. The Ms. Senior America pageants have been around since 1971, but still remain largely unknown. We can’t think of how its remained such a big secret, when it looks this incredible. Scroll through the gallery above to see the images of these beautiful women who shine with class and elegance.</p> <p>What do you think, time for New Zealand to launch their own? </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/02/how-to-beat-post-retirement-depression/">How to beat the retirement blues</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/02/how-to-make-retirement-happy-and-healthy/">4 tips to ensure a happy and health retirement</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/02/four-ways-to-stay-active/">From walking groups to tai chi, top 4 ways to stay active</a></em></strong></span></p>

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