Quick News

• Sabs praise CPS prosecutor
• Several tragic fox kills
• Hunt horse caught in barred metal gate
• Two serious assaults by hunts caught on video
• More theft and violence by hunt followers
• Animal Sanctuary invaded
• Venue cancels hunt ball
• Hunt invades protected archaeological site
• Scottish hunt relays hounds
• Celebrities seen at Boxing Day Meets

Hunt atrocities

The East Northants Hunt Saboteurs, Herts Wildlife Monitors, and Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs report that the Puck and Essex have killed again (05/01/24), in Ashdon. Jordan Bearder was seen retrieving the poor fox’s body. The sab who was recording this had their phone stolen by hunt staff who assaulted them along with another sab present. This Hunt already has a CPN against it (July 2023), inherited from the Puck side of their amalgamation.Sabs are asking anyone who sees this Hunt breaching its conditions to film and report them to 111.(https://www.herts.police.uk/news/hertfordshire/news/2023/july-2023/communityprotection-notice-issued-to-hunt/)

Plymouth and West Devon Hunt Sabs broke the distressing news of another fox kill on the same day as Puck and Essex killed (above). Horrific photos of the poor fox’s body were published. This time, the killers were the Lamerton Hunt in South Devon. This death comes just two weeks after the deaths of two dogs belonging to the Mid Devon Hunt on a main road on the edge of Dartmoor.

Likely yet another fox kill, this time reported to the West Kent Hunt Sabs by a member of the public. The incident happened in the Northbourne/Betteshanger area. This member of the public is already sufficiently distressed by the hunts that they tip off their local sabs when the hunt is out. They described how a neighbour could hear the fox’s screams.

Devon County Hunt Saboteurs had to watch in “horror and disbelief” on Saturday 6th January “as Stevenstone Kennel Huntsman Sean Watts made his horse jump a half-fallen metal gate out of a field from a virtual standstill. The gate collapsed and the horse panicked as their legs were caught up in the metal bars. This is one way to break a horse’s legs.

Herefordshire Hunt Sabs Facebook page shows Cottesmore Hunt stewards assaulting sabs and dragging one through the mud. The video is upsetting to watch.

The Wight Hunt Sabs’ hit report from 13/01/24 tells how a member of the Isle of Wight Foxhounds’ support grabbed a sab from behind and ripped a radio from the sab’s belt. As their servant ran off with it, he was chased by two sabs looking to retrieve their radio, which was then dropped. As one of the sabs bent down to pick it up, he collided with another hunt member who then punched the sab, yelling that the sabs shouldn’t have been there. It was a public area. The police were called, but the assailants had quickly sped off on their quad.

Hunt fails

More good news, this time from Derbyshire, where it had been reported by Derby Hunt Saboteurs that Chesterfield FC were to host the Barlow Hunt Ball on 27/01/24. Many, many people wrote emails and posts expressing their dismay that CFC should host such a group, including many of their team’s supporters. As a result, a spokesperson for the club issued a statement to say: “It has been confirmed that the Barlow Hunt Ball, which had been scheduled to take place at the stadium on January 27, has been cancelled.” Rumours that this ball would instead be hosted by Matlock Town FC were soon quashed. They hadn’t been asked and had “no intention” to do so.

On Saturday 6th Jan, the Cheshire Rural Crime Team turned up whilst the Wynnstay were out hunting. This was enough for some hunt security toughies to make themselves scarce.

The RAH (Royal Artillery Hunt) is one of those hunts that seem to escape censure, with its connections to the MOD (Salisbury Plain) and, historically, a very pro-hunt Minister for Defence. On Saturday 13th Jan, the RAH trespassed Sidbury Hill, an archaeologically important and protected site. Whilst initial contact from an AAF member to Historic England was fobbed off, she persisted with her complaint and as a result they are now in conversation with the landowner and with the Crown Servant for the site, chief archeologist Richard Osgood, who is involving the DIO (Defence Infrastructure Organisation). The Regional Inspector is also looking into historic cases of this Hunt’s trespass near the (fenced off) site. The member of AAF gave special thanks to the Salisbury Plain Hunt Sabs (“Moonies”) whose photographic evidence, she says, made her complaint possible .

prosecutions

Cheshire Monitors Facebook page covers the recent trial of the Wynnstay huntsman Christopher Woodward. They are full of praise for the CPS prosecutor, Suzanne Cartwright, who pursued Woodward in the dock until he finally conceded that he could have pulled his hounds off the scent of the fox. Amongst his other utterances in court, when he was asked what they used for the artificial trail, his reply was, “they are made of dead foxes”! If that were true, it would do nothing to discourage the hounds from hunting live quarry. He had to create a lie on the spur of the moment.

Some good news: Dorset Rural Crime Team announced on a FB post on Sunday 14th January that Dorset Police have charged two people associated with the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale with theft and assault. A 33 year old male from the Colehill area is charged with theft and assault following an incident on 26/09/23 in Hillfield; and a 33 year old male from the Colehill area is charged with theft relating to an incident on 03/10/23 in Dorchester. A 34 year old male from the Poole area is also charged with assault and attempted theft relating to the same incident on 3rd October. Both have bail conditions imposed upon them, such that neither is allowed to be near any hunt until their court date: 16/02/24. We hope for convictions and sentences appropriate to their crimes, especially in light of the increased violence and vandalism seen of late from thugs attached to this Hunt.

and in other news…

The College Valley Hunt is an English Hunt but it is meeting in a hotel in Scotland. Scottish law should prevail, which means they can only drag hunt using a non-animal based scent.

On 7th January, the Daily Mail reported that Rebekah Vardy was being criticised for supporting the South Notts Hunt. (Ms Vardy is the lady who was confronted by Mrs Rooney. Her husband plays for a club that has a fox for an emblem.) The Mirror covers footage of the assault by Cottesmore stewards mentioned above. Also, Alastair Martin –  Secretary & Keeper of the Records at The Duchy of Cornwall – who “works closely with King Charles III..to enhance the biodiversity of the natural environment” attended the Mendip Farmers Hunt on Boxing Day. And, Angela Rippon was seen at the Spooners and Dartmoor Hunt Boxing Day Meet. She claimed she was “out for a walk”.