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The standard of entries was so high in the 2010 HESCO Photo Competition that the judges were unable to split the vote between the two photographs contesting for the first prize of a Harley Davidson FatBoy. So, in an unprecedented gesture, TWO bikes will be given away this year!
After much deliberation, the judges awarded joint first prize to CWO2 James Wright of Marine Aircraft Group 41, US Marines, and to RAF WO Gareth Davies of the Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG).
CWO2 Wright was clearly surprised and shocked when he was informed he had won; “How am I feeling? I have a huge grin on my face and not sure when it will go away! I have just won one of the greatest bikes on the road! I have never been in a position to get a Harley myself, it is truly a dream come true, and an honour I have of my picture being chosen as this year’s winner.”
His winning photograph was “taken during a ‘shura’ with local villagers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. We didn’t have a meeting location established at the time and with the heat still bearing down on us, we erected the hasty shade with the cammo netting up against our HESCO barrier walls.”
WO Davies was similarly delighted. He said, “Well I’m a bit speechless… I am delighted to have won a bike that I previously could only admire from afar.”
His dramatic photograph, taken at Patrol Base Shazad, also in Helmand Province, showed an RAF Merlin helicopter taking off; “I tried to take a photo of a helicopter in the open and got blown back by the down draft. It pelted me with stones and dust too… so this photo was taken by me having learned my lesson and I was hiding behind some HESCO!” he said.
Arrangements are now being made to present the winners with their brand new Harley Davidson bikes.
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