Quick News

• Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt suspended
• Hunt trespass on ancient Fort
• Hounds knock elderly couple to the ground
• Hunt rampages through horse-assisted therapy centre
• South Dorset Hunt kills, trespasses, assaults, and abuses (+ more) all in one outing
• Same hunt trespasses in Tank Museum the next day
• Cottesmore Hunt thugs identify themselves with a bizarre uniform
• Two hunt arrests in Suffolk
• Two hunts merge
• AAF brings out new report on Dogs Used for Hunting
• A PACK of LIES by the Countryside Alliance

Hunt atrocities

Channel 4 News on January 25th covered a kill by the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt  in early December. Huge kudos to the North Dorset Hunt Sabs who filmed this and passed it on to C4N, to whom we’re also grateful for broadcasting it. The piece contained very encouraging words from Inspector Oliver Fisher (National Wildlife Crime Unit) and Chief Superintendent Matt Longman (National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead on Foxhunting Crime) who didn’t hold back in their recognition of illegal hunting across the country, and the division between those “trying to stop something illegal” and those who are “intent on perpetuating something illegal” (Inspector Fisher). The BHSA, of course, hung back until the last moment before broadcast to suspend the BSV, whose riders have been seen out with other hunts since.

The sheer arrogance of the hunts towards members of the public was again demonstrated this week. The Cattistock Hunt was seen by North Dorset Hunt Sabs to trespass over an important National Trust Hill Top Fort (Eggardon) in Dorset, and their outing two days later saw them going through Woodland Trust property near West Coker in Somerset. Dogs also ran through gardens, both worrying and enraging local residents.

The Eggesford Hunt also lost control of their dogs as they ran through gardens, including that of an elderly couple, one of whom the dogs knocked over and whose dog was terrified. When they complained about this, they were told that if they didn’t like hunting, they “shouldn’t be living there then” and will “have to get used to it”! (Thank you to Devon County Hunt Sabs.)

Just as the hunts have no respect for the public and pets, their own dogs and horses, nor for wildlife, so they have shown again that they have no respect for any other creature in their way. Wildlife Guardian carries a report of the Hampshire Hunt terrorising hundreds of horses in a horse-assisted therapy centre, and Teeside Anti Blood Sports carry footage (24/01/24) of sheep bolting from the Bedale Hunt and into fencing.

Hull Wildlife Protectors report a kill on 27/01/24 by the Holderness Hunt. We understand the local Rural Task Force attended a call and that evidence has now been passed on for investigation.

Freezing weather meant that some hunts cancelled their killing sprees, whilst others chose to go out on foot. Thermal socks for them, maybe; frost- and ice-burnt paws for the dogs. Fewer horses out, then, to be used as weapons against sabs and monitors, but hunt violence, bloodthirst, disrespect for person or property, generally endangering life and creating disturbance, upset, and chaos has all carried on in the usual way.

Weymouth Animal Rights (WAR) group’s report from 13/01/24 describes a South Dorset Hunt outing which reads like a hunt-debauchery bingo card: a single day and just about a full-house. In one hit: one very likely and a second possible kill; violence and assault; homophobic, racist and misogynistic language; sheep worrying; threats of violence, and horses used to intimidate. Just minutes in, the dogs were heard in full cry and a fox filmed running with a pack very closely behind. Unable to intervene, sabs later found evidence of a kill, and a number of dogs were bloodied. As is often the case, female sabs were selected for particularly nasty behaviour. Huntsman Mark Pearson, First Whip ‘Josh” and Redcoat Harry Bolter all showed their colours that day with the sort of behaviour that would shame all but the shameless.

The  South Dorset Hunt were not put off by the freezing conditions (20/01/24). WAR reports that this time the SDH rode all over MOD land, causing such a commotion that local residents ventured out in the cold to see what was going on. Asked by one resident what they were doing there, huntsman ‘Josh’ (see above) replied to her with the charming, “Shut up, you old bag”. They then went on to invade ‘The Tank Museum’ where they upset visitors, some of whom turned and left because of their presence. This isn’t the first time this hunt has trashed through The Tank Museum, and the Museum has previously said about hunting on their property that they ‘unequivocally did NOT allow it’. Continuing to hunt MOD land, the usual illegal hunting was further evident with dogs seen running about on several roads. The dogs went into cry and, following a scent across a main road, one of the dogs was hit.

Violence by the Cottesmore continues. This is the Hunt whose hired thugs recently took to uniformly wearing yellow and black padded bomber jackets and balaclavas. On 30/12/23, they punched a sab twice in the face. The following week saw the awful attack on female sabs, where four of these uniformed thugs set upon a female sab and then a second, pushing them onto their face and dragging them through mud, hurling misogynistic insults. Attacks continued the next week, this time on vehicles. No jackets, but still wearing balaclavas the thugs blocked the sabs’ vehicle’s escape while they ran at the car, one smashing off a wing mirror as another smashed the driver’s side of the windscreen with a lump hammer.

Hunt fails and investigations

Happier news comes from Suffolk Action for Wildlife who, on 18/01/24, broke the news that two arrests had been made relating separately to a fox chase (16/12/23) and a fox kill (23/12/23) by the Essex and Suffolk Hunt.  A 32 year old male and a 33 year old male, named locally as hunt supporters Jack Henty and Jamie Price, were taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning. They have been released pending further enquiries.  Suffolk Action for Wildlife said, “After diligently monitoring this organised crime group for over 2 years we are pleased with the result.”

Cheshire Against Bloodsports were pleased to report that the Cheshire Hunt packed up early on 27/01/24 as the Rural Crime Team turned up. This is what we want more of!

More good news comes with the merger of the Southdown & Eridge Hunt and the East Sussex & Romney Marsh Hunt. The merger has now been confirmed by the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA). The amalgamated hunt is to be known as ‘the Southdown & Eridge Hunt with East Sussex & Romney Marsh’. This is, in fact, actually a four-fold amalgamation, as the Southdown and Eridge used to be separate hunts, as did the East Sussex and Romney Marsh.