First of all, before polling starts – a thank you to Penski, who prompted the gathering of the wonderful collection of twenty three – that’s right, count ‘em, twenty three
- favourite stories.
Okay, let’s get this started.
Your choices for the extra special One Hundred Months celebratory medallion are…
NAHYou didn’t fall for that did you??
How could we ever pick just one? Rub a little hand cream on your palms so they can do a lot of clapping (as everyone comes on stage, hogs the microphone for their thank you speech – to be continued long after the ‘sit down’ music plays, and takes it in turn to pick up their very own commemorative medal – to be worn at any and all meets of the Ladies Appreciation Society.
And the ‘All Are Winners’ Winners are…
1)
Calico – for tugging the old heart strings with a shameless use of Valparaiso Orfling what might have been sniffles. An entry from April 2008 ‘The Wrong Choice’
2)
Mizz Maz – for wonderful use of an age reveal, “Fifty five is not old. I’m middle aged.” – to create mood whiplash, and for shameless use of the Bolivian Army Ending to make us gulp. An entry from September 2012 ‘Defensive Position’
3)
Rosie Annie – for delighting us with a story showing the aftermath of the pilot episode and making all the Lom Trevors’ fans among us – which is all of us basically – go AWWWW and want to hug him hard. An entry from May 2013 ‘Maybe’
4)
Sister Grace – for blatant channelling of the yearning of tween-ager gals for gorgeous horses and gorgeous blond cowboys. She wants one!! Her writing makes us want one!! An entry from November 2010 ‘Horses’.
5)
Hanna Heyes – for a virtuoso display of how to do a dialogue only story of four characters AND for including several challenge topics in a single story – torches, hard on the back, why did we go the way we went, horses. An entry from June 2012 ‘Diamonds’.
6)
Inside Outlaw – for delighting us with an extra HH alias for Heyes, for blatant safe dangling in front of that same Heyes, and for a wonderfully unsympathetic banker who deserves come-uppance. An entry from January 2013 ‘Bounty’.
7)
BeeJay. Yeah! Our board mistress came out to play. For subtle and touching use of hints that we have a deceased Kid Curry in not so pearly gated waiting room. An entry from June 2009, ‘Starter Paragraph – Heyes is gone theme’.
8)
Skykomish, for wringing our heartstrings over the death of the boys’ families, but also making us feel for one of the youngsters caught up on the other side of that day. An entry from May 2011, ‘Calling the bluff’
9)
Alias Alice for making us want to hug two teenage boys tight and feed them up. For making wee Jed give a birds and bees talk to a cute little gal. And for being a friend to all creatures – except chickens. An entry from April 2015, ‘Counting Chickens’
10)
Nm131 for working a starter for ten paragraph into a whole ASJ saga. For making our heart ache for Kid Curry as he sacrifices himself so his partner can have amnesty. Sniff. An(other) entry from June 2009, ‘Starter Paragraph – Heyes is gone theme’.
11)
Cal – our (relatively) new Welsh dragon!! For writing a genuinely nervous sweat on the brow tense stand-off scene between Heyes and the Kid. Even if it was a ploy. An entry from February 2016, ‘A Fair Days Work’
12)
Frankie for giving us such a wonderfully reflective Eggs-outlaw thinking back across the years. And for yanking the heart strings as he realises Heyes might not make it this time. An entry from April 2012, ‘Eggs’
13)
Ty Pender for illuminating challenge story illustration, for making us chortle hard as the actor yearns to display the full range of his craft and for Ty’s own services to man ‘flu. An entry from May 2015, ‘Under the Weather’.
14)
MoulinP for ticking our funny bones with a story of Heyes coping with the aftermath of stock system mistake. There’s a formula for everything – even a superabundance of clothes horses! An(other) entry from February 2016, ‘A Fair Days Work’.
15)
Penski for a wonderfully BBC appreciative explanation of how Hannibal Heyes began to bear such an uncanny resemblance to Danny Bilson. Cue futuristic music – weowwwww wooo, weeeeeoooow woo… An entry from October 2012, ‘A Twist in the Tale’.
16)
Remuda for giving us a thoughtful epilogue to the episode ‘Smiler…’ and helping Kid Curry come to turns with it. An entry from (I think – not 100% sure) February 2011 ‘Invitation’.
17)
Storm R, for making the most of the fact that a great routine is always a great routine and giving us the wonderful Kyle and Wheat – but who’s on first bandit? An entry from March 2012, ‘Making the Leap.
18)
CJP22, for figuring out how to register (smile – welcome) and for coming on board with a wonderfully traditional story which even has a STAMPEDE!! Now, don’t make this your last as well as your first challenge entry. An entry if only it had made it under the wire from January 2016, ‘Storm Clouds’
19)
Kid4ever for beginning with unashamed lusting after both the front and rear elevation of a handsome ex-outlaw. Then for putting Heyes through the emotional wringer – but finally let us all have the relief of a safe and sound Kid. An entry from May 2008, ‘Beating the Odds’
20)
Iona Graham for returning to us for this anniversary special, and for once again giving us the bitter aftertaste lingering from the Governor’s deception. An entry from September 2008, ‘The Lie’.
21)
Allegra for merging the world of Harry Potter with the magical speed of Kid’s fast draw and the wizardry of Heyes’ fingers on the dials of a safe. An entry from May 2010, ‘Cross Over’
22)
Ghislaine Emrys for getting Heyes and Curry back together again after the mysterious canon split up. And for making us ache for poor adolescent Kid losing the last of his boyhood. An entry from March 2009, ‘Bad Things Happen When We Separate’.
23)
Shenango the former wire dodger and multiple bandanny winner for getting back in touch and for making our collective lips wobble with her version of the worst day from Jed and Hannibal’s childhood. An(other) entry from April 2008 ‘The Wrong Choice’