In this winning portrait from the photography contest, an Indonesian farmer races through the mud on the back of two water buffalo. As contest judge Joel Sartore puts it, it's an "epic scene." According to the photographer, Hong Kong-based Chan Kwok Hung, in order to win these annual races the farmers must train hard, believing that victory will bring them good luck for the upcoming planting season.
Sartore, a contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine in the United States, said: "The powerful action, fun subject matter and soft background all combine to make this image stand out." The 2010 National Geographic International Photography Contest ran from September 16, 2010 through November 30, 2010, with the organizing committee receiving 16,000 entries from photographers around the world.