GILLINGHAM AND SHAFTESBURY SHOW - 2025
For many years, the Portman Hunt and the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt (BSV) have paraded their hounds in the main ring at the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show. However, since last year’s event, both hunts were convicted of illegal fox hunting. Two members of the Portman Hunt were found guilty, while four members of the BSV Hunt were also convicted under the Hunting Act. In a separate court case, two other BSV members were convicted of obstructing a public highway. Notably, one of them had previously been convicted of assaulting a hunt saboteur.
Before the show, we contacted the Show Organisers and asked them to exclude both hunts. When the Show Committee remained silent, we contacted the local paper and began an email campaign.
Suddenly the Committee made the announcement that neither of the hunts would be displaying. The story was published in a national newspaper.
The show took place on 13th August 2025. We were there to see what happened.
After the show, the hunt was heavily criticised for using the opportunity to deliver pro-hunting propaganda to the local audience.
(For more on the background — the convictions and our past attempts to challenge the show, please have a read below).
What actually happened at the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show on 13th August 2025?
SUMMARY
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We believe the commentator for the hound show was Col. Simon Ledger, Chair of the excluded Portman Hunt’s Supporters’ Club.
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Only two hunts took part: one foxhound pack and one clean boot pack.
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Col. Ledger used the commentary to spread misinformation about trail hunting, as well as about saboteurs and monitors.
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He deliberately conflated drag, trail, and clean boot hunting in order to make trail hunting appear harmless.
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The beagle pack was prevented from entering the ring by the parade organisers.
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Both Col. Ledger and the Master of the South and West Wilts foxhounds pushed a pro-hunting agenda throughout.
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Health and safety precautions for children petting the hounds were minimal.
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The hound display was a fiasco (we suspect deliberately so).
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We believe the relationship between the Show Committee and the parade organisers is compromised.
Here is a link to our video of the event, where you can hear the commentary:
More details
Since the Portman Hunt was excluded from the show because of its convictions, it was a surprise to see Col. Ledger there. Given how he used his microphone to spread propaganda to a local audience, he too should have been excluded.
Speaking about people who object to hunting, Col. Ledger said:
“It is their right…, but what they don’t have the right to do is to make it violent and unpleasant.”
This statement clearly implied that sabs and monitors frequently use violence. That is absolutely untrue. In fact, this year alone there have been eleven convictions for violence against sabs and monitors committed by hunts, and none at all by sabs. Col. Ledger was attempting to present hunts as victims, when in reality they are the perpetrators of violence.
Throughout his commentary, he continued to deliver biased and inaccurate claims about the supposed role of hunting in rural life. He also deliberately muddied the distinctions between drag, trail, fox, and clean boot hunting. He claimed each was simply a form of “trail hunting” and that each type “followed a trail.”
However, the Master of the Bloodhound pack made it clear in his own speech that clean boot hounds follow a human runner, not a laid trail or drag. Despite this, Col. Ledger repeated his conflation shortly afterwards, saying that the clean boot hunt “puts a trail down which the man runs.” This is entirely misleading.
When interviewing the Master of the South and West Wilts Hunt, the Master used the opportunity to make political points about the Government’s intention to strengthen the Hunting Act. He even claimed that “hunting is the thread that binds the countryside together.” This is demonstrably false. Nationally, only about one in 700 people participate in or support hunting. Our own Rural Survey shows that just 7% of rural residents support it. Most people want nothing to do with hunting, which in fact negatively impacts rural communities.
They also made no mention of the absence of the BSV and the Portman, nor the reasons behind it.
Two media articles appeared after the show. The Blackmore Vale Magazine https://blackmorevale.net/concerns-over-trail-hunting-misinformation-spread-at-gillingham-shaftesbury-show/
And the BV (also Blackmore Vale, but not connected with the BVM above).
Health and Safety Concerns
We strongly believe children should not be allowed to pet hounds due to health and safety risks:
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No hand-washing facilities were available.
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Hounds are not sanitary and are likely to carry parasites.
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Hounds are known to carry salmonella (proven by a faeces test at a Boxing Day meet in Tiverton).
The problem is compounded by the hunts’ poor disease prevention. At the Dunster Show, and later at the Honiton Show, most hounds could not attend due to exposure to kennel cough—clearly showing they are not vaccinated. An AAF volunteer confirmed this in conversation with a hunt member at Honiton. It was also noted that the SW&W Huntsman prevented the beagles from entering the ring. Was that because of the risk of kennel cough?
The show’s risk assessment for the hound display explicitly states that riders should dismount and lead their horses to one side before children are allowed into the ring to pet hounds. Yet Col. Ledger invited children in without first asking riders to dismount. Some children ran full speed towards the horses, creating a serious risk of accident. He only gave the warning belatedly.
For context, this year a petting zoo was linked to an outbreak of cryptosporidium, hospitalising a number of people. Hounds could also carry this parasite.
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/suspected-parasite-infection-outbreak-28-35147251
Hound Participation
Only two hunts attended: the South and West Wilts (foxhounds), and the Wessex Bloodhounds. We have no issue with the Wessex Bloodhounds, a clean boot hunt which follows the rules and risk assessments. However, the beagle packs (they are also killers)—who were about to enter the ring—were barred without explanation.
This suggests there may be a rift between the Show Committee and the hunts, especially since the BSV and Portman were excluded. We have long known that the hound show is organised by someone outside the Show Committee. In our view, the single foxhound pack and Col. Ledger were punishing the Committee by turning the event into a tedious fiasco, filled with pro-hunting propaganda, exclusion of the beagles, and no gallop round at the end.
the convictions
Two members of the Portman Hunt—Tom Lyle and Marcus Boundy—were found guilty of illegal fox hunting in September 2024. Meanwhile, four men who attended a BSV Hunt—Conall McGrath, George Pierce, Andrew Osborne, and Freddie Osborne—were also convicted under the Hunting Act in April of this year. The BSV’s fox kill was particularly horrific. Links to reports on the incident are provided below:
Both the Portman Hunt and the BSV continue to claim they are engaged in ‘trail hunting.’ However, the convictions clearly show they are involved in illegal fox hunting. It is now widely acknowledged—including by the police and the Government—that trail hunting is often used as a smokescreen for illegal fox hunting. The Hunting Act is currently under review to be strengthened, as it is frequently abused by fox hunts.
We have written to the show, the League Against Cruel Sports has written to the show, the New Blackmore Vale Magazine has written to the show and concerned locals have also written. All of us have asked: a) are the convicted hunts displaying, and b) if so, will the show ask them not to come in light of the convictions? The show has ignored all of us.
The Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show has connections to the hunt
Giles Simpson, the new chair of the show, is the former director of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt.
Past objections to the hound displays at the show
In 2024, the BSV paraded at the show. The organisers remained very secretive about it, once again ignoring all contacts from the public and campaign groups, including the League Against Cruel Sports. The only way we found out was by attending the show ourselves. North Dorset Hunt Sabs, who collected the evidence of the horrific fox kill for which the hunt was convicted, were shocked to see the hunt displaying at the event—they were supposed to be in court facing charges but did not show up.
In 2023, the show again ignored all contacts, including over 5,000 emails generated by a petition from Protect the Wild. The organisers said they would have hound parades but were deliberately vague about which hunts would appear, likely because the BSV and Portman Hunts were already facing charges. Once again, the only way to know which hunts were parading was to attend in person. Unsurprisingly, both the Portman and BSV were there.
In 2022, the show responded to a concerned local by email:
“While we have not confirmed any Hunts at this time, the Show does plan to permit local Hunts to parade in the Main Ring.
The Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show is a showcase of Agriculture, Countryside and Rural life, which includes the traditions and heritage of the Countryside. Welcoming Hunts to parade, Hunts which carry out legal trail hunting. The Show does not support any illegal activities nor Hunts that have been found guilty in a court of law.”
In 2021, in an effort to influence the show from within rather than from outside, AAF applied for a stall at the show. However, pro-hunt individuals issued threats, including “Set the dogs on them.” Despite these threats being directed at us, the show cancelled AAF’s pitch and took no action against those who made the threats. In response, we organised a protest outside the show.
In August 2018, AAF joined the League Against Cruel Sports in another protest outside the show. During this event, we were intimidated by a person entering the show who was known to be on a police warning for intimidating hunt opponents. This was the same show where we captured two photos of the BSV huntsman—one inside, smiling at the crowds, and one outside, flipping us off as he left.
TEMPLATE LETTER
For many years, the Portman Hunt and the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt (BSV) have paraded their hounds in the main ring at the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show. However, since last year’s event, both hunts have been convicted of illegal fox hunting. Two members of the Portman Hunt have been found guilty, while four members of the BSV Hunt have also been convicted under the Hunting Act. Additionally, in a separate court case, two other members of the BSV were convicted of obstructing a public highway. Notably, one of these individuals had previously been convicted of assaulting a hunt saboteur.
You can find links to reports on these convictions here:
These incidents are deeply concerning and entirely unacceptable.
Both the Portman Hunt and the BSV continue to claim they are engaged in ‘trail hunting’. Not only do the convictions show that they are fox hunting, but it is now widely acknowledged — including by the police and the Government — that trail hunting is used as a smokescreen for illegal fox hunting. The Hunting Act is currently being reviewed and strengthened as it is frequently abused by fox hunts.
Considering the standing of the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show within the community, and the enjoyment it brings to so many people both locally and beyond, it would be regrettable if allowing individuals with recent convictions to parade at the show was to tarnish the otherwise positive reputation of the event. To permit these hunts to display, the show is condoning illegal behaviour.
Yours sincerely
Contact details for the show.
Here are their contact details.
Tel: 01747 823955
Email: info@gillinghamandshaftesburyshow.co.uk
If you’d like to help with our campaign, especially if you are a local (Dorset), please contact us info@actionagainstfoxhunting.org
