Alrighty then! Congratulations, all, for some stalwart processing in harsh conditions. This capture had at least a trifecta of problems: not-quite-in focus (MC-20), irritating bokeh that also doesn't play well with sharpening (40-150 Pro meets its least favorite conditions), and enough noise to kill off micro-contrast and interfere with detail recovery in the fur. There were a couple of frames in full sun in which these problems largely disappeared. I looked for those entries that I thought best dealt with the image's defects. This includes the strange ISO choice made by the camera. For me, when it comes to animals, I find I appreciate naturalness more often than punch or surprise.
My choices for the winners' stand go thus:
Special mention to
@Taneli for the dynamic crop. If only the pixels would allow this
Special mention to
@RobD for the punch-up
Second runners-up, equally,
@Taneli &
@gecko Hardly interchangeable but equally enjoyable.
First runner-up,
@Herbert Hound, second entry. The zoom back and muted colors made this easy to look at.
Winner,
@griffljg It works for me! Take it away, Larry.