Mr.Rawhide-redux

Friday the meet and greet

The evening started after dinner where Darrell, Steve Ranger (who I met for the first time) Bensonboy and myself got to the bar. As usual for a Friday night it was packed and some of the contestants for the contest were there. I only met one and didn’t know the others. As the night progressed the contestants were all there and were in full swing talking everyone up. I knew it was going to be an interesting weekend when one of the contestants looked at Sir Eric and asked “who are you?” Let’s just say the look on the contestants face was priceless.

Since I was the tally master for the contest I really didn’t have much involvement with the contestants but helped point some of them out to the judges. My real joy was eavesdropping on the conversations some of them were having and learning a thing or two from Dame Amanda, who was referred to as old guard ( a day at a time we will all be old guard lest we forget). It was good seeing her go toe to toe and knowing that I must be doing something right myself. After the contestants got their number it soon time for me to leave, since a certain young lady was breaking bottles with her mind.

Saturday the interview/contest

After we had our New York City breakfast of champions (coffee, bagels and a cigarette) we got down to business. The questions that were asked made me pause and I realized to run for a contest is difficult and one must be as authentic and true to themselves as they can be. After all they are there to be judged, and although none of the judges asked any questions about Larry Townsend I will not hold that against them. But by the end of the interviews I was sweating like a runaway slave.

The gang all showed up on time I might add for the contest that night. And Will Clark the MC for the night was in, Will Clark form and no one was safe and why should they be? It’s a leather bar. He had the crowd going and as each contestant came out, the crowd got rowdy. Which only made Will Clark get rowdy at intermission I looked at my partner in crime Grant and said “you think someone should put the smack down on that chic?” yeah there were women in the bar and they were well…woman. But since I was told that I was a tally boy (since this was the first time I was working in the contest and hadn’t worked my way up to master, fucking leatherfolk and their earning shit I stayed quite when I didn’t get the go ahead to give her the smack down). Oh and take note when you ask someone to be the tally whatever make sure they are not a wee bit dyslexic. The tally “master” switches numbers as does the tally “boy”, we figured if he switched the numbers one way I’d switch them back the other. LOL

It was a close call but as with everything, there can only be one. And the new Mr. Rawhide was knighted and sashed, and then the party began. The bar smelled of beer and leather and all that was missing was cigar smoke and I would have been in heaven. The bar was packed and folks were eating pizza (a New York City victory dinner) the bar was filled with a great mix. Sexy leather men and women, members of MaST and TES, brothers from ONYX NY all mingling with the regular patrons of the bar. Oh and a couple of women. Everyone was congratulating the winner and Time Out NY was there covering the contest and taking pictures fun was had by all.

Sunday

I got a call the next morning, the message went like this:

Me: what?

Them: there was a cat fight after you left.

Me: what? I told you those chicks needed a smack down. Click

The silver lining is that it was not raining cats’ dogs and cows this year.