Berkeley Hunt supporters who have made a habit of falling off this season are feeling good about their misfortune because it has helped raise £1,000 for the Great Western Air Ambulance charity.

The Berkeley Hunt Supporters Club handed over the money at its inaugural Tumble Club party on March 5.

The Tumble Club was set up at the beginning of the season to raise money for this good cause after the air ambulance was called out to a couple of its members following nasty falls.

Club chairman Reg Hopkins explained: "The idea was that everyone who falls off during the hunting season becomes a member of the Tumble Club and is 'fined' £5 per fall.

"The fines are then totted up at the end of the season and paid at the party. People who were fortunate enough not to have a fall could still come along by paying £5 to become an honorary member for the evening. The Hunt Supporters Club then made up the difference to £1,000. It is all just a bit of good fun, but raises money for an excellent cause."

Reg knows only too well the critical importance of the air ambulance after it was called out to him following a particularly bad fall in September.

"There is nothing more reassuring than hearing it arrive when you are lying semi-conscious on the ground in the middle of nowhere," he said.

Ironically, the prize for the person with the highest number of falls during the season went to Reg's son, Philip, though luckily for Philip, none of his falls were serious.