Congratulations Hugh - a brilliant image with action and atmosphere. A worthy winner and always destined to be my choice.
I've looked at and edited most of these images for use on the calendar and I was disappointed that we couldn't use this in print for technical reasons. On balance, the others had the edge on quality and ability to print at A3 size, and met the criteria for being used. Image-wise - yours was right up there. Was gutted to not be able to consider it.
Here are a few personal comments on the contending images (in order of why I personally would have chosen them) - I'm being rather critical from a photographers perspective, why they work (for me) and why they don't. A few editing tweaks maybe, cheating I know, but all photographs get some treatment nowadays, either in camera or afterwards would have edged them closer to be top. Please don't take these comments the wrong way or negatively - you've already got a winning image - its your photo. It what you saw when you pressed the shutter and what you wanted. Just a few options to get even better results, if you wish to do so. Feel free to ignore my comments - many do
High Summer - Great action and feeling conveyed in the image. The mono treatment removes the distractions that colour would have added (and helps when there is little contrast in the photo). The sharpness in the streams of water convey the movement (and wetness). Not just a Z3, or an ///M, but a great winning image in many a competition. There is a little more mono processing I might have done (like the Santa Pod image in the calendar) that would have made this absolutely sing!
Zed in the Welsh Snow - Great composition with the track leading off into the distance. Maurice's car is placed nicely on one of the powerful composition points in the image. Lovely blues in the sky lifting the image. Nicely exposed - very rare in images containing snow. Unavoidable I know it is though due to the road conditions, when you look close there's lots of muck on the car - shock horror!!!. A very close second.
Zed Bend - Classic S shape leading into the image.A couple of things act against the image as a stand out photo however. The signposts and the 30mph on the road distract from the overall image. Of course they were there so had to be included but do sadly distract.
A Bridge too far - The car (and especially the wheel and chrome gills) are a great counterpoint to the splendour and scale of the bridge. The BMW roundel and wheel give some act together to focus interest . However, - the lightness in the sky and little interest in the top right lets it lets it down a little. A really picky distraction I know.
Mellow Yellow - Super colours throughout (love the Dakar yellow) - A slightly higher viewpoint would have given more separation between the top of the roof and the horizon. The main distraction is the post and barbed wire - Getting a view without the post (and if possible the wires) would have helped enormously, and also I feel, possibly a view slightly from the front and a little higher where the bonnet and door pillar would have mimicked the slope of the rape-seed field behind?
Shiny wet wheels - I was there a few weeks ago and know how hard it is to get a good photo in what is actually quite a cramped space. You missed the distracting signs on the fence at the right hand side which is a big plus. There is sadly, rather a lot of un-interesting foreground. Cropping the image (its easy enough to do) just below that first stepping stone on the right and it improves enormously by placing the car closer to the base of the image. Having the car a smidgeon closer too would have made it more prominent without loosing any location interest. It would have given a little more space between the car and the fence behind it making look a little less cramped. Having said that, I know its some distance each way before you can turn around.
A huge well done also to everyone for winning their monthly round!
Oops - Added this - I missed it off.
Zed on the Stelio - The background needs no comment - Stunning mountain view! Sadly, the car merges into the background and dark face of the wall. Lifted though by the starburst on the windscreen. Again, a little tweak to lift the shadows would make the car and darker face of the mountains stand out.