I arrived  Wednesday and picked up my team from the Airport.  I brought 2 Ponies and a dresser.  Thursday was a Meet & Greet and Pictures!

 

 

 

 

Friday was the Interview

International Ms Leather 2014 Contest Interview with SubMissAnn by Leland of Leatherati.com

Please keep in mind that this is paraphrased from my notes on the fly. This is in no way intended to be direct quotation, but rather offered to give readers a loose sense of what transpired.

Presentation segment

I was told I am allowed to give you my book as a reference, so here it is. My book is five years of presentations, my handouts started getting so thick… so we just did it this way.

I wanted to talk to you about pony play leather. I wanted to introduce you to what we live in.

Trainers, our leather… these are reigns. I’ve had these about 5 years. I’ve trained all these ponies with it. I don’t wear gloves. We get the oils from our hands on it. It has all the energy from all those ponies.

For me, leather is who you are. It becomes an authentic part of you. There is nothing more authentic than a pony creating themselves. Some remain in human space, some go into pony space. Eventually they will learn their pony is inside.

This is Beauty’s tail, notice I dyed my hair to match. The first thing they will get is a tail (which does the trainer no good.)

We are really lucky that horses befriended us. Some wanted nothing to do with us, one of those would be the zebra. Horses were willing to till fields, in order to accomplish this we put them in bondage. This translates so well to us.

Once the bit goes in, that’s it. It reinforces your dynamic – with a bit in mouth –  that pony is gonna shut up and start listening.

I can train a pony in about one to two hours to do all the gaits. But to really train a pony, it takes one to two years to where they are moving exactly the way I want them to. This is correcting their posture, I’ve corrected their balance, this is body modification.

One of the other things I am going to do is take their hands away. Hooves.

Here’s the harness that goes on a pony.

Q and A segment

Judges are referred to in the interview simply by first name, they include:

International Mr Leather 2013, Andy Cross
Jaco Lourens, South Africa Contest Producer
International Ms Leather 2012, Synn
Ashley Young, activist & writer
S. Bear Bergman, author, storyteller, and educator
Allison Moon, author
Carol Queen, Good Vibes staff sexologist, Center for Sex & Culture founding director
International Ms Bootblack 2012, Tarna
International Mr Bootblack 2008, Bootdog
Laura Antoniou, author

Bootdog: as IMsL, you encounter a variety of different types of people in the community… how would you bring pony play to Old Guard Leatherman who doesn’t see this as connected to Leather?

Ann: I understand. Everyone loves a pony. Vanilla people, kink people, fetish people, Old Guard people. I have truly investigated this and this kind of play has deep water. I know most of you think it’s fun. My ponies text me when I go back to LA. “Are you going to play?” Do you put in the work? How much time do you spend working with your submissive?

Bootdog: Um, I am a submissive.

Ann: (shrugs) I know we call it play, but if you really want to get into training and discipline, it’s work. Keep it being fun. There are steps to this that old guard play does understand. There is literature about pony play from them.

Bear: Tell me a bit about the history of IMsL, which past IMsL inspires you?

Ann: It started in San Francisco, with Judy Tallwing as the first one. There was a production company that started it. For me, the person I like to relate to is Gabrielle. She’s funny, classy, I see her all the time at different events. I like the work that she has done. She was there in 91 and did a lot of fundraising for AIDS. She was there when men’s events were newly accepting women. She’s the person I most admire.

Ashley: Let’s say you are at MAL, you have $6 and no place to stay — who do you call?

Ann: In Washington? I already have a whole pony group there! I have already gone around for 5 years and built a network of people I can call.

Synn: what does IMsL mean to you?

Ann: International Ms Leather is not just Leather, she goes to kink, fetish, latex, gay evens. Two years ago, could I have gone into the Eagle to ask Charlie to put up an IMsL poster? No, I’ve grown. IMsL is a woman who can charm her way into every event. She can even go into sex events. Wouldn’t you like to see IMsL go in with Nina Hartley and stand by her? That’s who she is for me. She meets and greets a lot of different people and be at home.

Allison: Are you at all involved in other aspects of the Leather community?

Ann: Oh, I forgot one thing… in my bag… (she’s rooting around for quite a while, then pulls out huge golden dildo to much audience laughter.) Not only is it something you could use as a dildo… but I am a piss player. Beauty needs to pee. I love pony play and I am just as much at home getting a little blow up pool and putting a sign on that says, “please do.”

Tarna: Can you name 6 former IMsLs or IMsBBs?

Ann: Sarha, Synn, Sara, Mollena Williams, Judy Tallwing … BB? Bell, Tarna, Q, …

Laura: Can you please give me the title or description of a book or story that was influential to how you walk or trot, canter through the world?

Ann: My favorite book has nothing to do with kink, I think it’s called “Driving Through the Rain.” It’s about a dog and he tells about his family. It’s a book about manifesting your life. All the time he’s thinking about manifesting himself as a human. It’s really, really good.

Carol: How would you explain pony play to fans of the Kentucky Derby?

Ann: With horse shows, ony players get out, and it’s popular right now, people run through and jump it. The Derby… I don’t think anyone has actually run the Derby first… it’s long and they want the track to look nice. What we do, we do races… what’s nice is that it’s very simple – all at a canter. When we do it, we add a gait to it. We add an animal arcade. We have them all line up and hand you a ten-shot nerf gun. Our derby in LA is very, very popular. You can place bets on horses and get cart rides after. We’re kinky and we roll like that.

Jaco: Let’s say that you are going to join us in Cape Cod… what advice would you give the women?

Ann: To have a plan and a vision. What I really want… my idea is fun, we have all of these gay pride parades… would be so great to pull my cart with Mr. IML in it all over the world

Andy: What do you think your biggest challenge will be if you win?

Ann: I still think after doing this all year, this is so exciting… what am I going to do after it? Once you create something so amazing – you have to fill it with something amazing. What would be next? I think figuring that out would be my biggest challenge.

Bootdog:  Let’s say you wake up and you just have one month to IMsL, how do you prepare?

Ann: I would keep being me. Read books. Picked up Leather Folk, so great. I’ve learned so much from books I never would have read. The history, looking at the different people, your life becomes so much richer.

Bear: What do you think about trans inclusion?

Ann: So, I think people are just people. I grew up in the Bay Area. It wasn’t until I got out of that region that I realized we were so tolerant. It never occurred to me that they wouldn’t be included. MtF or FtM – people who identify differently than how they appear on the outside. I don’t think butch dykes shouldn’t be pressured into body modification if they don’t want to. When I was 50 I decided to get boobs and do porn. I imagine for a trans person it’s the same… they want to be seen for who they are.

Ashley: You have 24 years of submission and service, how does it translate to IMsL?

Ann: Leather is the search of excellence in your life. It’s about going out and looking to see what is needed and being there — ponying up and being there.

 

subMissAnn’s Speech

 

Greetings!

 

A few months ago I read: “IMsL is “taking up new reins” and wants to celebrate diversity.”

 

That is a noteworthy statement to a Pony and Pony Trainer because we are exactly what’s at either side of reins. Reins are the Leather that I use to communicate and guide my Pony when I am training her and we are having fun.

 

I want to bring Pony Play home to Leather. Pony Play originated in Leather, in our relationships which make our Tribes – TRIBES which we view as our Herds;  the Leather in our discipline and training in Pony Play, in our D/s relationship between the Trainer and Pony, and in the nurturing and commitment a Trainer has to their Pony; and Ponies, they work so hard, they are so useful.  Fetish and Kink took this play, and made erotic images with it, shiny pretty play Ponies, sexy Cart Ponies. For a type of play to bring such joy and fun to humanity is good and admirable in itself.  AND the true heart of a Pony and Trainer, what gives Pony Play its substance is Leather.

 

Pony Play has a long history and that history is part of Leather. Leather history includes women’s, gay, het, tran’s and Animal Role Play Leather history:  It is inclusive and diverse.  I hold sacred to my Leather heart every part of our diversity.  I deeply know what it is to stand before a group you belong to, that you deeply love and are diverse from.

 

If you honor me with being your IMsL titleholder, we will proceed with pride.   I will be your ambassador, I will reach out to new tribes, new herds, TO Leather Folk and we will CELEBRATE our diversity IN NEW WAYS.

 

 

Thank you.

 

*****************************************

 

 

And next was my performance!

 

The Music:

 

My Fantasy:  An enchantress PonyMistress enters with Duo of Pony’s on rein and performs to “Magnificent Seven”.  {Music changes to “It’s Who You Are”} Moved by her Ponies strength and obedience, she transforms her Ponies into Ponygirls She wishes to dominant them as the Alpha Ponygirl and invites them to follow her lead forever.

 

 

 

 

 

Introduced one more time:

 

 

 

And here we are all together….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And as you can see, it was quite a thing to do.  I love my IMsL Sisters.  This was the part I did not know I would receive out of doing such a project, I now have 9 Sisters that think of me, love me, check in on me weekly. wow.

 

POSTED ON FACEBOOK

My International Ms Leather experience:

Well, there was getting to IMsL. I talked with several of the leatherwomen that are are my friends in Southern California. I was told not to run as a Pony Trainer nor a Pony. I was told I would not win. They really did not recommend I do this AND if I was, I was told they didn’t feel qualified to coach me and I should ask an International title holder. So, I called an International title holder. She told me to be true to myself, follow my heart and do it.

One of the hot topics of discussion between me and the Judges of the North American Pony/Trainer Contest last year was why don’t the contestants want to present Pony Play at Leather events? Why are they listing Fetish and Kink events? The contestants weren’t listing Leather events because when I have applied to Leather events to present, I get told “I do not fit the vision of the event”. If I get told this, I can imagine what other Ponies and Trainers get told.

The truth is, not all Ponies identify as Leather. We are an inclusive and diverse group of Animal Role Players, even in our own community. We are loving and accepting of one other though and support each Pony being their authentic selves.

My observation of the Leather community and Ponies is that the Leather community has very little interaction with us. The Leather community sees us at Folsom Fair. As a Pony drawing a cart at Folsom Fair last year, I heard over and over again “It’s the Ponies! Don’t they look great? I totally don’t get this play but they look so great.” I have events in Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Pony and Critter Club and I rarely see a Leather person there. My reality of sending Palm Cards to Leather events is handing people a picture they like but they don’t show up and check it out.

Honestly, I had my current title holder apply to present classes at International Ms Leather and crossed my fingers she would be accepted. She was and her class was great and to those that attended, I thank you. I thank you for opening your hearts to this wonderful play. Those that are drawn to Pony Play are passionate about it.

Me, I signed up to be a contestant because as a contestant I got 2 minutes to talk to 700 Leather women about Pony Play and for us that identify as Leather, how we are connected to the Leather community. I signed up to be a contestant so that I could bring Pony Play before your eyes and into your experience and allow you the opportunity to understand our Play as much as i could in 4 minutes. This alone is a more quality visible sharing opportunity of Pony Play than any opportunity our Pony community has been given to give the Leather community. I signed up because I am a Leatherwoman and while I get that I don’t look the way most of you all do, my heart is bold and true, I am passionate about my play and you are my home. I enjoy being elegant and wearing bright red lipstick and am perverse and deviant and sensual all at the same time. I brought the authentic me because i believed IMsL and I both deserved that. When you put out a shingle saying you want to “celebrate diversity” you have invited freaks like me.

I love my IMsL sisters. We made it worth all that studying, all that preparing, and the intense weekend to find each other. Big Hard Love to you all – always. I am so grateful.

To everyone that was able to take away a better understanding of Pony Play, I am so very happy. I fulfilled my purpose. I thank those of you that took a moment and shared how you learned more about Pony Play than you ever had before with me while I was there at IMsL, Thank YOU – BIG because you kept me going that weekend.

I had a great time at IMsL. I have my experience of being there with my sisters. I have the experience of bringing my ponies and letting them loose on the Leatherwomen. I walked up to Leatherwomen I wouldn’t have had the courage to talk to 2 years ago and chatted away.  I made out with Gabrielle, twice.  That was worth the trip in itself. xxoo.

To everyone at IMsL: If you get the opportunity to ride in a cart pulled by a human Pony – take it. The experience will blow your mind.

To International Ms Leather (IMsL) I send all my love and thank you. If you see room at your event for a Pony demonstration of different disciplines (English dressage, Hunter/Jumper, Western and Cart) I would be interested in bringing that next year. This type of demonstration would take a space bigger than a classoom – more like the lobby area in front the bar or a ballroom.

Thank you.

~Ann