Hunting's top tumble revealed

The winner of the Countryside Alliance Hunt Tumblers' Club competition for the 2015-16 season, kindly sponsored by Pol Roger, has been announced.

Out of hundreds of photos sent in from hunts across the UK and Ireland, Colin (Joe) Bird's picture sequence of Kitty Kemp-Welch taking a tumble out with the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray Hunt was judged to be the top tumble of the 2015-16 season. Kitty, aged 10, who is a regular hunt follower and a member of the Cowdray Hunt Pony Club, hit the deck at the Opening Meet held at Petworth House.

Kitty said; 'I was a bit nervous and so waited to go last; I wanted to do it as well as my sister Coco had the year before (she was on my pony Cracker then). My mum says I kept circling round before presenting him to it, and I think when I did finally go for it, I jumped the hedge as well as the pony! Firstly I was thinking yay I'm doing it, it's all going to be OK, and then I was thinking oh no, uh-oh!'

Photographer Colin (Joe) Bird who has followed The Chiddingfold, Leconfield & Cowdray Hunt for many years and, along with his wife Sue, is regarded as the official hunt photographer said; 'I did not see Kitty coming but luckily had my camera up and ready on the spot where she took off. As I saw her in the air I could tell that she was going to make a bit of an interesting sequence of shots so I continued to follow her as she jumped. When Kitty hit the ground I ran over to make sure she had not hurt herself and could see her pony was fine. She was full of excitement at her attempt at the jump and it was only after realising the size of the hedge and a bit of delayed shock from falling that she had a few tears, which were soon forgotten when I told her I had managed to capture the whole sequence on camera.'

The competition was judged by Business Development Director Paul Graham from Pol Roger UK, Alexandra Henton from The Field magazine, three-day eventer and keen hunting supporter Harry Meade, and Henrietta Rutgers of the Countryside Alliance's hunting campaign.

Paul Graham said; "Champagne Pol Roger is delighted to be supporting the annual Hunt Tumblers' Club, those participating truly share the Churchillian adage 'In defeat I Need it, In Victory I deserve it', we would hope our Champagne helps in some way to soothe the pride of those taking the tumble."

Henrietta Rutgers said: "It was great to have some younger entries in this year's competition and really felt that our winner deserved to be recognised for her bravery in the field. We particularly liked her 'Thelwell' impression over the large hedge, which made us all laugh and it was such a great sequence captured by photographer Colin (Joe) Bird. The photo made us all reminisce on childhoods spent in the hunting field and it is so important that we encourage the future generations onto the hunting field.

"As always we were inundated with great photographs which made the final decision a tricky one, but all judges were unanimous in their decision that Kitty should be our winner. Many thanks to everyone that submitted photos and we are very much looking forward to next season's competition."

• Second place was awarded to Jane Warburton's image of Helen Bowser's fall whilst visiting the Scarteen Hunt.
• Third place was awarded to Angie Lock's picture of Mrs D'Arcy-Clarke's fall out with the VWH
• Highly commended were tumblers' Martin Cook out with the Exmoor
• Also highly commended was Megan Robinson out with the Readyfield Bloodhounds.